Tim Walz Facing a Shaky Future in Minnesota

Gov. Tim Walz, having returned to Minnesota in defeat, is facing a whole slew of problems and he’s doing it with a weakened party and voters who seem a lot more purple than deep blue. His biggest problem is the state budget which is now facing a big deficit.

Minnesota Democrats controlled the governor’s mansion and the State Legislature the past two years, allowing them to pass a trove of liberal laws on abortion rights, marijuana and medical leave. But they are bracing for a new era of gridlock, having lost their slim majority in the House. Their control of the Senate is tenuous.

State budget officials last month issued a grim assessment of Minnesota’s fiscal health, warning that spending is projected to exceed revenue in coming years. The officials said a $5.1 billion deficit is possible by 2028. Under the Democrats’ leadership, the state had a $17.5 billion surplus at one point, leading critics to question how tax dollars have been spent.

On top of that he has big political problems. If you missed David’s post this morning about Minnesota House Democrats threatening to not show up for work to avoid giving Republicans a quorum, you should check that out. They are doing their best to defy the state constitution and it’s not clear if the courts will allow them to get away with it. The situation in the Senate isn’t much better.

Democrats had been poised to hold a one-seat majority in the Senate. But the death of a Democratic senator last month means they will start the session with a tie. Complicating matters, another Democratic seat is in question; Senator Nicole Mitchell is scheduled to be tried later this month on a felony burglary charge. She has pleaded not guilty.

Yes, you heard it right. A top Senate Democrat is being charged with burglary and has refused to step down. Here’s her version of what happened compared to the police report.

“I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room,” she wrote on Facebook after she was charged with burglary in April. “Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny.”…

In a charging document, the police said they found Senator Mitchell in the basement of her stepmother’s home after the stepmother called 911 around 4:45 a.m. on April 22 to report that someone had broken into her house. Senator Mitchell was dressed in black, the police said, and held a flashlight that was covered with a black sock to limit its brightness.

Senator Mitchell told officers that she had been collecting items of “sentimental value” after the death of her father, including his ashes. “I know I did something bad,” Senator Mitchell told officers, according to the charging document. Prosecutors charged her with first degree burglary, a felony.

She sounds like a peach. Dems didn’t want her to resign while the Senate was still in session because they needed her vote. Not that she’s just a liability Walz and others are calling for her to resign.

What all of this means in the near term is that Tim Walz will be facing a tough legislative session even as he has to decide if he wants to run for a 3rd term in 2026. Republicans are feeling more optimistic about that election after Harris won the state by just four points. The plan is to run on the disappearance of the state’s $17.5 billion surplus on a list of dubious priorities.

“Not only did they spend it all on these pet programs, which in our view is ridiculous, but they put us back into a deficit and raised our taxes,” said Alex Plechash, the new chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party. “That is just unforgivable.”

Of course a lot can change in two years but right now Walz’ future is looking pretty uncertain.