Just 1% of voters in the latest Star Tribune/Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication Minnesota Poll said they were undecided on Walz鈥檚 performance. Walz鈥檚 failed bid for vice president last year put him in front of a national audience, exposing his record for better or worse. He hasn鈥檛 closed the door on a possible national bid in 2028.
鈥淓ngaging in national politics is risky in terms of a candidate鈥檚 home state standing,鈥 said former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who ran for president in 2012. 鈥淪ome voters are proud of the visibility it brings for our state 鈥 but other voters, especially independents, don鈥檛 like officeholders being too distracted or becoming more polarizing as part of a national campaign.鈥
Fifty percent of voters in the latest Minnesota Poll said they disapproved of Walz鈥檚 performance, including a majority of independents. There also was a stark gender divide, with nearly 2 in 3 men disapproving of Walz鈥檚 performance compared with 60% of women who approved.
Pawlenty said Walz鈥檚 approval rating is an important but incomplete measure. It doesn鈥檛 answer the question of, 鈥渃ompared to who?鈥 he said.
鈥淲alz will be running against a Republican candidate and my party鈥檚 recent record of nominating candidates who can actually win a statewide election isn鈥檛 exactly stellar,鈥 said Pawlenty, the last Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota in 2006.
The GOP has struggled to put up formidable nominees for governor in recent years. Scott Jensen, the party鈥檚 2022 gubernatorial nominee, lost to Walz by more than 7.5 percentage points and received fewer votes than the GOP鈥檚 candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor.