Waltz in the middle of nature: from future vice-president to unemployed in a few years

“What I’m really good at is I’m a really good geography teacher,” Walz said with a laugh at a news conference Tuesday. “I think that’s something I would find joy in, going back out there, trying to teach.”

Before running for Congress and later for governor, Walz was a football teacher and coach at Mankato West High School in southern Minnesota.

Walz’s political future looked bright in 2024 when his legislative successes and folk image helped inspire Kamala Harris to choose it as his running mate. Even though they lost, Walz was still considered a rising star within the Democratic Party – even a possible presidential candidate for 2028.

But Walz, who has been criticized for failing to prevent mass attacks fraud in government programs in his custody, Monday abandoned his quest for one third term as governor.

He told reporters Tuesday that he doesn’t know what his future holds, except that he plans to run a few marathons and defend the title he won in his age group in a shorter “Turkey Trot” race at Thanksgiving. He said he also expects to be busy next year trying to combat the The Trump administration’s targeting of Minnesota, including one influx of federal officers in the state.

“Look, I’ve got a year of work to do here. I think it’s going to be the hardest year, and that probably includes COVID,” he said, referring to how he spent much of 2020 leading the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m warning Minnesotans, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. … For me, I’m going to do this job.”

Walz also highlighted one of his proudest accomplishments during his tenure, the Jan. 1 launch of a paid family and medical leave program, which the Legislature passed in 2023 after Democrats took full control of the state for two years.

Walz and his allies took advantage of the relatively rare break in Minnesota’s usual play divided government model has eliminate almost all restrictions on abortion enacted by Minnesota Republicans, protect gender-affirming care for transgender youth and legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. The list of Democratic priorities they adopted also included free school meals for all students and gun safety measures.

Dan Hofrenning, a political scientist at St. Olaf College, believes the end of Walz’s gubernatorial run likely marks the end of his electoral career.

“You never say never about the political future, but two terms as governor, running for vice president, that’s a pretty good run,” Hofrenning said. “And at the end of this race, withdrawing from the race is an acknowledgment of his strong political vulnerabilities.”

If Walz had lost, Hofrenning said, his reputation would have been further tarnished. But Walz now has a chance to step into an “elder statesman role,” he said. Walz could be a potential cabinet secretary or ambassador if a Democrat wins the 2028 presidential election, he said.

Larry Jacobs, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota, wasn’t yet ready to write off Walz. He said the governor is “a very talented politician who brings unique skills” to the Democratic Party.

“After you retire like that, it’s easy to say ‘no future’ because he goes into depression, and it looks like he has his tail between his legs, but I think maybe that’s myopia,” Jacobs said. “There might be a point in a year or two where that will have changed a little bit and he might have an opportunity to run for the U.S. Senate.”

But Jacobs isn’t sure becoming a cabinet secretary is Walz’s intentions.

“I think his time on the national stage as a vice presidential candidate did not earn him a high position,” Jacobs said. “There’s a real perception of him as being sort of out of his league.”

Walz earns about $127,000 a year as governor and has listed his major assets as his pension and other retirement plans. A Wall Street Journal analysis in 2024, his and his wife’s net worth was $800,000. Forbes went higher with an estimate of just over $1 million, but said he was “the least wealthy politician on a major party ticket” this election cycle.

“He’s going to need a job. Maybe he’ll find a new niche, maybe in the foundation world,” Jacobs said. “But I don’t think he’s a guy who’s going to retire in the near future.”