Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has announced that he will be hosting town hall events in Republican-held congressional districts across multiple red states. The tour comes amidst Democratic criticism that Republicans are ducking public forums with their constituents.
“I’m hitting the road, traveling to red states across the country to lend a megaphone to the people,” said the governor in a social media post. “Your congressman may not want to listen, but they’re going to hear from us anyway.”
According to CNN, the governor will be going to swing-districts that are currently held by the GOP in Iowa and Nebraska. The first town hall event will be on Friday in Des Moines, Iowa, which resides in the state’s 3rd Congressional District and is currently occupied by Republican Congressman Zach Nunn.
The Iowa town hall will be hosted by the state’s Democratic Party, according to a social media post.
CNN also reported that Walz would participate in further town hall events in Minnesota and Ohio.
Alpha News reached out to Walz’s office with various questions about the town hall events and the governor’s political future. Among other things, Walz was asked how many town halls he has hosted in Minnesota since he became governor. However, Alpha News’ media inquiry was not returned.
In recent weeks, Democrats, including Walz, have strongly criticized the layoffs of federal workers and spending cuts made by the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Led by Elon Musk, DOGE has sought to find cost-saving measures and cut waste and fraud from federal agencies.
Protesters upset by DOGE’s actions have demonstrated outside of Republican congressional offices and showed up at town hall events attended by GOP lawmakers.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has dismissed the protests as orchestrations of Democratic activists and paid protesters who are seeking to get soundbites. The speaker has urged members of his caucus to communicate directly and frequently with constituents by different means. Additionally, Johnson has noted that polling shows Americans support DOGE’s mission.
In turn, Democrats are claiming that Republicans are avoiding the public. Last week, Walz offered to go to districts where Republicans were not hosting in-person town halls, and this week his national town hall tour began.
After announcing last month that he will forego a bid for U.S. Senate, Walz is currently deciding whether to seek a third term as governor in 2026. Should Walz seek and win a third term, he would be tasked with managing a significant state budget deficit that will require major spending cuts or increased taxes to rectify.
However, the governor has become one of the most prominent Democrats in the country following his time as the Democratic vice presidential nominee during the 2024 presidential election. As such, many view him as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
The governor’s national town hall tour is sure to increase speculation that he is preparing the way for a 2028 presidential bid. In addition to the town hall events, Walz was recently the keynote speaker at the Montana Democratic Party’s annual Mansfield Metcalf dinner and has kept up regular appearances on national cable news shows.
Republicans criticize Walz town hall tour
Various Republican elected officials and conservative organizations blasted Walz’s town hall series and urged him to focus on the problems in his own state.
“While Minnesota faces a looming budget crisis, skyrocketing crime and a crumbling education system, Tim Walz is out joyriding through red states chasing his presidential dreams,” said Americans for Prosperity-Minnesota State Director Jacob Coleman.
“Minnesotans deserve better than a part-time governor. Get back to St. Paul and do the job taxpayers are paying you to do.”
Minnesota House Majority Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, expressed similar criticisms, saying on social media: “We still have a lot of work to do here in Minnesota, Governor.”
“Tim Walz is a fraud and a liar,” U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said in a statement. “For him to take his message of failure and incompetence on the road proves that he is focused on his own political ambitions and not the people of Minnesota.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
