Walz decision to exit governor race intensifies calls from GOP lawmakers for his resignation: 'Easy way out'

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz announced on Monday he is scrapping his re-election campaign for another term amid a massive fraud scandal in the state, but Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are calling the move an empty one. 

"Don’t mistake Gov. Walz’s retirement for accountability," Minnesota state Sen. Mark Koran said in a statement to Fox News Digital after Walz’s Monday announcement. 

"It’s an attempt to avoid it. Republicans will keep holding ALL elected Democrats accountable for Minnesota’s fraud mess, spending every dollar of the $18 billion surplus, and raising taxes by $10 billion."

Accountability for Walz, according to several Republican lawmakers, involves him resigning as governor, which many have called for in recent months. 

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"The Governor is taking the easy way out, but it’s not good enough," state Sen. Michael Holmstrom said in a statement. "Minnesotans deserve and demand an IMMEDIATE resignation."

"Governor Walz couldn’t take the FRAUD heat so he’s getting out of the kitchen, but I’m going to keep holding ALL Democrats accountable for Minnesota’s fraud mess, blowing through the entire $18 billion surplus, raising taxes by $10 billion, and making life less affordable for all Minnesotans while rejecting Republican efforts to stop fraud. I’ll keep exposing these failures and holding Democrats accountable for what they’ve done to Minnesotans."

Walz launched his bid for a third four-year term as Minnesota governor in September, but in recent weeks has been facing a barrage of incoming political fire from President Donald Trump and Republicans, and some Democrats, over the large-scale theft in a state that has long prided itself on good governance.

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More than 90 people — most from Minnesota's large Somali community — have been charged since 2022 in what has been described as the nation's largest COVID-era scheme. How much money has been stolen through alleged money laundering operations involving fraudulent meal and housing programs, daycare centers, and Medicaid services is still being tabulated. But the U.S. attorney in Minnesota said the scope of the fraud could exceed $1 billion and rise to as high as $9 billion.

GOP state Sen. Rich Draheim accused Walz in a statement of simply "passing the buck" with his "retirement" announcement while "blaming Republicans for his failures."

Minnesota Republican Sen. Andrew Lang echoed the messaging from his state party in a statement concluding that "retirement isn’t accountability."

"It’s him trying to wipe his hands clean of the fraud mess. But ALL elected Democrats own this. They fought Republican efforts to stop the fraud, failed to hold Walz’s agencies accountable, and let Minnesotans’ tax dollars get siphoned off by fraudsters."

Walz met Sunday with Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to discuss his decision to drop his re-election bid, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News' Alexis McAdams.

Word of their meeting comes amid speculation that Klobuchar, a former Hennepin County attorney who's been elected and re-elected four times to the U.S. Senate, may now run to succeed Walz.

"Make no mistake, I don’t want Tim Walz to be our governor," Minnesota Republican state Sen. Andrew Mathews said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "But rather than swapping Democrat governor candidates, I want to FIX the damage Gov. Walz has done: Blew through an $18 billion surplus, Raised taxes by $10 billion, Oversaw one of the largest fraud scandals in the country, Left Minnesota for months chasing a failed VP bid, Now decides to leave office."

"This isn’t accountability. It’s avoiding it."

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.