By One of the appeals to Kamala Harris of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate was his lack of ambition to be president himself.
In the summer of 2024, Business Insider reported that “Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate was influenced by his lack of ambition to become president someday, a member of the vetting panel said.”
Now, Walz is changing his tune. During a recent interview, the former candidate for vice president left the door open for a possible presidential run in 2028, despite the significant defeat he and then-Vice President Kamala Harris faced in the 2024 election. During an interview on The New Yorker Radio Hour on Sunday, Walz reflected on that loss while acknowledging he might consider another bid for national office.
“If I feel I can serve, I will,” he said, according to The New York Post. “And if people across the country say, ‘We tried you, and it didn’t work out,’ I can accept that.” While he emphasized that higher office has never been his main ambition, he admitted, “If I believe I can contribute something meaningful, I would certainly consider it.”
It’s not the first time Walz has expressed national ambitions since last November.
Walz’s potential candidacy emerges at a time of uncertainty for the Democratic Party, but one person who won’t be happy to hear the news will likely be his former running mate, Kamala Harris. Early polling suggests that former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are leading the field, with Harris at 36 percent support and Buttigieg significantly behind at 10 percent. No other Democratic contender currently reaches double digits, noted The National Review. However, political landscapes shift quickly, and today’s frontrunners may not hold their positions in the years to come.
Both Harris and Buttigieg are already exploring their next political moves. Harris is reportedly considering a run for governor of California, where she would be a strong favorite in the Democratic primary. Buttigieg, meanwhile, is eyeing Michigan’s open Senate seat in 2026, though he would likely face a tough contest in the general election against Republican Mike Rogers, who currently leads in early polling. Rogers lost a nailbiter in 2024 to Elissa Slotkin, who will be delivering the response to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
As for Walz, his political future remains uncertain. He recently ruled out running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Senator Tina Smith in 2026 but has yet to announce whether he will seek a third term as Minnesota’s governor. If he were to serve through 2031, he would become the longest-serving governor in state history.
Despite his challenges on the 2024 ticket—including a high-profile debate loss to Republican JD Vance and failing to carry his home county—Walz remains committed to shaping the Democratic Party’s future. He has expressed strong concerns about the GOP’s return to power, particularly regarding policies affecting Medicaid and LGBTQ rights. During the party’s leadership voting, Walz threw his weight behind David Hogg, surprising even members of his own party.
Still, Walz is pragmatic about his own prospects. “I’m not arrogant enough to believe that just anyone can do this job,” he said. “But if the timing is right and I have the right skill set for the moment, I’ll be ready.”
Republicans welcomed the news.
🚨NEW: Ex-Dem Strategist @danturrentine joins @seanspicer in roasting idea of Tim Walz 2028 presidential run🚨
SPICER: “Just tell me where to send the check. I’m on Team Walz.”
TURRENTINE: “I think, just my own opinion, he’d be terrible. I mean, what he showed on the campaign… pic.twitter.com/3S0g4AaIDk
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) March 3, 2025
The Daily Caller recalled that “the governor received criticism during the 2024 campaign for several of the far-left initiatives he has supported, including signing legislation in 2023 that requires schools to provide tampons in both girls’ and boys’ restrooms, which led to Trump and others calling him ‘Tampon Tim.'”
The governor often repeatedly made inaccurate claims about his past during the 2024 campaign and has a strange fondness for communism in China.
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