Gov. Tim Walz participated in an interview with a member of the Minnesota media Thursday morning after largely ignoring the state’s press during his time on the national campaign trail.
And the first topic WCCO Radio host Vineeta Sawkar asked the recently defeated Democratic vice-presidential candidate to address was the reports that he and his lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, encountered a falling out of sorts during his national campaign with running mate Kamala Harris. The reports note that Walz and Flanagan haven’t appeared together publicly in several weeks.
During the 19-minute interview that aired during the morning commute, Sawkar summarized media-reported rumors of a “rift” between Walz and Flanagan. The two-term governor audibly chuckled and referred to the stories as “palace intrigue” among political journalists.
“No. Look,” Walz answered. “The lieutenant governor and I have worked together for many years. We are transitioning back after a national campaign and we are just taking a look at again, ‘How do we approach this job to cover more ground?'”
Sawkar then asked Walz to address a report in the Star Tribune that alleges staff in Walz’s administration were “especially irked” after learning Flanagan had tapped Walz’s gubernatorial campaign fund “without authorization for some work.” That fund had a cash balance of more than $600,000 at the beginning of this year, according to campaign finance reports.
“There’s people within your own administration who are telling reporters that you’re not happy that Lt. Gov. Flanagan tapped into your gubernatorial campaign fund,” Sawkar said to Walz. “Is that true?”
“I have nothing to say about that,” Walz answered. “I don’t know about that. And I certainly never heard anyone say it to me. So, nope.”
That alleged revelation comes following a number of stories Minnesota media wrote over the course of the 90 days of the campaign that speculated on a “what if?” scenario were Harris and Walz to be elected to the White House. In many of those accounts, Democrats in Minnesota celebrated the prospect of Flanagan taking the baton from Walz and becoming the first female governor in state history.
As Walz has re-engaged with local media in recent days, he has been somewhat vague about whether he might run for a third term in 2026. Some have speculated Walz’s potential interest in another gubernatorial campaign has contributed to tension between him and Flanagan.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
