What happens to Tim Walz after Donald Trump wins the presidential election?

MINNEAPOLIS – That of former President Donald Trump Presumptive presidential victory Many in Minnesota are wondering what the next steps will be for the Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Waltz.

Vice President Kamala Harris gave her concession speech Wednesday afternoon from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Although Walz did not speak at the event, he was asked as he left the rally what was next. His answer: “Minnesota.”

Walz, 60, will return to his state on Wednesday evening and continue his second term as governor of Minnesota. Peggy Flanagan, who would have taken over the governorship if Walz had won, remains lieutenant governor.

Walz's term in office runs for two more years. He may have a harder time passing policies for the remainder of his term the achievements achieved during the landmark 2023 session.

From now on, Control of the Minnesota House is up in the air After Republicans managed to flip three seats, several other races likely face a recount – meaning the Democratic “trifecta” of power in the state is in doubt.

Larry Jacobs, a politics professor at the University of Minnesota, went a step further.

“The wheels of the DFL progressive bus have just come to a screeching halt,” he said. “The DFL will not be able to move big budgets and big programmatic ideas like it did in 2023. Republicans will either have a tie in the House, in which case they can obstruct things, or they will have the majority, in which they reject everything the DFL sends them, which involves more taxes, more spending, more regulation . So this is a big, big win for Republicans.

Walz has not indicated whether he would run again for governor of Minnesota if his bid for vice president fails.

What path is Walz likely to take as a politician at this point?

David Schultz, a professor and politics expert at Hamline University, told WCCO that he not only believes Walz's path in national politics is most likely over, but that his path in Minnesota politics is also “near the end.” .

At the state level, Walz's prospects for a third term as governor are not promising.

“With the exception of Rudy Perpich, no governor in Minnesota has successfully run and been elected to a third term as governor since World War II,” Schultz said. “The chances of him deciding to run and win are becoming increasingly difficult for him.”

At the national level, Schultz said analysts are looking for reasons why Harris lost.

“Some will call Walz the choice for vice president. … That he didn't appeal to voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Michigan. This is becoming an issue that needs to be thought about here,” Schultz said.

It's true that vice presidents – like Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey – often end up running for president, but that happens after they've already been part of a winning slate at the national level.

Schultz also notes that the percentage of votes Walz has received has steadily declined since he first ran for governor. This also includes the 2024 presidential election.

“Harris got a smaller percentage of the vote than President Biden, won fewer districts than Biden, so I think his path is difficult in terms of a future in Minnesota politics,” Schultz said.

Roller provided a final address on a national platform before the election Monday night on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” where he underscored that Harris The campaign's focus is Pennsylvania, the hotly contested battleground state In the end, Trump wonalong with his 19 electoral votes.

During a rally in La CrosseWisconsin earlier that day, Walz told the audience that if Harris and he beat Trump, voters will “never have to see this guy on TV and listen to him again.”

Walz emphasized that the future of American democracy is at stake.

“Things are at hand now, folks. I know there are great fears. The decisions made in the next 24 to 36 hours will shape not only the next four years, but also the generations to come,” said Walz.

During his time as governorWalz experienced several major crises. In his first term, he faced intense criticism from Republicans amid the dual dilemmas of the COVID-19 pandemic the violent uprising following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

Prior to serving as governor, Walz led Minnesota's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2006 to 2019. Before his political career, the Nebraska native served in the Army National Guard for nearly a quarter century.