Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz has stated that he would “certainly consider” a run for president in 2028, despite his decisive defeat alongside then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. “Look, I never had an ambition to be president or vice president. I was honored to be asked,” the Minnesota governor told “the New Yorker Radio Hour” on Sunday. “If I feel I can serve, I will.
He added: “And if nationally, people are like, ‘Dude we tried you, and look how that worked out,’ I’m good with that. If I think I could offer something … I would certainly consider that.” Walz, 60, recently ruled out a bid to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith in 2026. While he is eligible to seek a third term as governor of Minnesota in 2026, he has not yet indicated whether he plans to run, the New York Post reported.
On Sunday, Walz told host David Remnick he was “not arrogant enough to believe there’s a lot of people that can do this,” but added that “if the circumstances are right” and he feels he “has the right skill set for the moment … I’ll do it.” Pushed for a more definitive answer by Remnick, the governor answered: “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Harris’ selection of Walz as her running mate raised eyebrows, particularly after she bypassed Josh Shapiro, the popular Democratic governor of swing-state Pennsylvania. Walz failed to shift momentum in the Democrats’ favor, struggling in his debate against Republican VP nominee J.D. Vance and even losing his home county of Blue Earth in Minnesota. On Sunday, Walz acknowledged the Democratic defeat, calling it “one I’ll take with me to the grave.”
“An old white guy who ran for vice president, you’ll land on your feet pretty well. But I still struggle with it … when I see Medicaid cuts happening, when I see LGBTQ folks being demonized, when I see some of this happening, that’s what weighs on me personally,” he told Remnick, likely a swipe at the GOP or the Trump administration, though none of those things are happening.
Walz, who served 12 years in Congress before winning the Minnesota governorship in 2018, told The New Yorker that he would rather “eat glass” than return to the Capitol, explaining his decision not to run for Sen. Tina Smith’s seat. If re-elected in deep-blue Minnesota and serving through 2031, Walz would become the longest-serving governor in the state’s history, The Post noted.
