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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has made it unequivocally clear: he will not run for president in 2028. The former congressman and two-term governor, who joined Kamala Harris as her vice-presidential pick in the failed 2024 campaign, is instead pledging to focus on party-building and supporting the Democratic nominee.
“I’m not thinking about running in the 2028 White House race,” Walz said during an appearance on At Our Table with Jaime Harrison, a podcast hosted by the former Democratic National Committee chair. “I’m doing all I can to help build the party and make sure whoever that person is wins.” The episode, uploaded Thursday, attracted fewer than 300 views on YouTube within its first 12 hours and aired on a channel with just over 100 subscribers—hardly a high-profile platform for a national rollout.
In a separate interview with The South Dakota Standard on Saturday, Walz doubled down on his disinterest, explained The Daily Caller. “I will do whatever it takes to get someone elected,” he said. When asked directly whether he might change his mind and enter the race, Walz was blunt: “No. I’m not interested.”
Walz’s statements arrive at a pivotal moment for the Democratic Party. President Donald Trump’s sweep of all seven swing states in the 2024 election has left Democrats reeling, and midterm prospects appear bleak. Walz himself admitted in April that he is “very pessimistic” about the party’s chances of regaining control of the Senate in 2026.
As speculation mounts over who will lead the party into the next presidential cycle, Walz’s self-removal from contention points clearly to one figure: Kamala Harris. The former vice president, though defeated in 2024, is reportedly weighing a 2026 gubernatorial run in California—or a second shot at the presidency in 2028. Walz’s vocal support, combined with his refusal to challenge her path, signals that the Democratic establishment may be quietly coalescing around Harris once again.
While Walz might be out, the governor that Harris probably should have chosen appears to be making moves for a run himself. The Daily Caller noted that Pennsylvania Govenror Josh Shapiro has been working hard to gain more national attention, “beefing up” his communications team and promoting more social media.
“The size of Shapiro’s media staff has almost doubled since his predecessor, former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, exited office in 2023, the Inquirer reported. The report comes amid mounting rumors that Shapiro is weighing whether to run for president in 2028.
The battleground state governor’s communications, press and social media staff cost taxpayers a total of almost $3 million annually, according to the Inquirer. Meanwhile, 12 of these employees make over $100,000 annually, with some earning as much as $190,000 per year, the outlet reported.”
Shapiro, who is Jewish, is roundly disliked on the Left because he is not anti-Israel. In April, a pro-Palestinian activist tried to light the governor’s home on fire while he and his family were sleeping.
Extensive fire damage inside Pennsylvania Governor’s residence after arson attack overnight, seen here in a series of photos provided by @GovernorShapiro officers. pic.twitter.com/06CxpY3d79
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) April 13, 2025
The governor and his family had gathered at the residence to celebrate Passover. Hours before the fire, Shapiro had posted a photo of their Seder table. Emergency crews, including the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire, responded swiftly and escorted the family to safety.
From the Shapiro family's Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach! pic.twitter.com/2II1Id1W23
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 12, 2025
The New York Times reported that “the attack on the governor’s residence in Harrisburg, Pa., the suspect, Cody A. Balmer, identified himself on a 911 call and said that Mr. Shapiro, who is Jewish,’“needs to know that he ‘will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,’ according to the search warrant.
In an interview with the police after he turned himself in, Mr. Balmer ‘admitted to harboring hatred’ of Mr. Shapiro and said that he would have ‘beaten him with his hammer’ had he run into him on the night of the attack at the mansion, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
With the search warrant, the Pennsylvania State Police seized four smartphones, a laptop and an external hard drive. Investigators are combing through Mr. Balmer’s writing and notes ‘that contain any of the following: the name of Josh Shapiro; reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza,’ the warrant said.”
The governor of Pennsylvania, of course, does not have anything to do with foreign policy of the United States or Israel.
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