Gov. Walz delivers final State of State address to some empty seats

State of the State: Looking at legacy, final term

Gov. Walz laid out what he hopes will be his legacy of accomplishments, along with what he hopes to still get done before his final term ends. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard is live at the Capitol with reaction.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday but did so to some empty seats as some Republicans staged a silent protest by skipping the address.

Governor Walz reflects on his tenure and legacy

What we know:

Walz spent about half an hour celebrating and defending his record, focusing on his two terms as governor. He began by recalling his first State of the State address, saying, "We never feared the future, I said on that evening, we create the future," said Tim Walz, governor.

He did not mention President Trump during his remarks, which was a departure from some of his previous speeches. Instead, Walz spoke about unexpected challenges during his time in office, including the pandemic, police brutality protests and a vice presidential run.

Walz paid tribute to the victims of the Annunciation shooting, Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel, with Fletcher's parents in attendance. He also asked for a moment of silence to honor Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and stopped at the empty seat of his negotiating partner in the House, who was assassinated in June.

Several House Republican seats were also left empty as a silent protest by lawmakers who didn't want to sit through another political speech from a governor they blame for being divisive and for allowing millions, if not billions in fraud.

Walz addresses criticism and outlines unfinished business

The other side:

Rep. Harry Niska criticized Walz for not mentioning the state's fraud case sooner in his speech. "We had to wait 38 minutes into the speech before we heard anything about the biggest national story about Minnesota, the shocking multi-billion dollar fraud that struck our state," said Rep. Harry Niska.

Walz anticipated the criticism and highlighted the anti-fraud laws he has proposed, bills that are mostly boring nowhere in a divided House. "If you're taking fraud seriously, take your responsibility seriously and pass legislation to stop it," said Walz.

The governor said he is prouder of Minnesota than ever after its response to Operation Metro Search but acknowledged that there is still work to do in his final eight months and the legislature's last three weeks. "For seven years, we've been doing that together. We've got one more chance to do it again. So let's get to work," said Walz.

Walz recognized that his legacy may depend on what happens in the coming weeks, but those empty seats and the post-speech criticism may be indicative of an uphill battle.

The backstory:

In September, Walz announced he’d be running for reelection in 2026, but later announced in January he was dropping out of the race, saying he can't give a political campaign his all after what he described as an "extraordinarily difficult year for our state."

The announcement came as he faced national criticism from President Donald Trump, among others, for his handling of fraud in Minnesota.

Looking back on Tim Walz's career

Dig deeper:

Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and reelected in 2022 after serving several years as U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s First Congressional District. Before that, he was a teacher, coach and member of the Army National Guard. 

He was Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential election. He's continued to build up his national profile since they lost the presidential election, especially as a sharp critic of President Trump. 

As governor, Walz has touted his accomplishments that include providing free school meals to all students in Minnesota, protecting reproductive freedom, cutting taxes for the middle class, and expanding paid leave for workers, among other policies. 

Walz was born in Nebraska and after high school, he enlisted in the Army National Guard. He graduated from Chadron State College with a social science degree in 1989. He then spent a year teaching abroad before returning home to serve full-time in the National Guard and teach high school, as well as accept a coaching position. 

Walz is married to Gwen Walz. They moved to Mankato, Minnesota, where they both worked at Mankato High School, where he taught social studies and helped coach the Mankato West football team. 

He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, representing Minnesota’s First Congressional District, and was reelected for another five terms before running for governor of Minnesota. 

Tim and Gwen Walz have two children, Hope and Gus Walz.