The four-term Democratic senator enters the 2026 race to succeed Tim Walz, positioning herself as a force against the immigration crackdown.<\/b>
\nUS Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Thursday she is running for governor of Minnesota, promising to take on US President Donald Trump while unifying a state that has endured a series of challenges even before the federal government\u2019s immigration crackdown.
Klobuchar\u2019s decision gives Democrats a high-profile candidate and proven statewide winner as their party tries to hold onto the office occupied by Governor Tim Walz. The 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Walz abandoned his campaign for a third term earlier this month amid criticism over mismanagement of taxpayer funding for child care programmes.
\u201cMinnesota, we\u2019ve been through a lot,\u201d Klobuchar said in a video announcement Thursday. \u201cThese times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration \u2013 but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state.\u201d
Klobuchar cited Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, federal officers killing two Minnesotans who protested, the assassination of a state legislative leader and a school shooting that killed multiple children \u2013 all within the last year. She avoided direct mention of ongoing fraud investigations into the child care programmes that Trump has made a political cudgel.
\u201cI believe we must stand up for what\u2019s right and fix what\u2019s wrong,\u201d Klobuchar said.
The senator has been among the loudest Trump critics, most recently over the immigration enforcement effort that has prompted massive protests.<\/p>\n