WINONA, Minn. — Political scientist Darrell Downs sees the violence associated with ICE as creating a “slight benefit” for whomever the Minnesota Democrats nominate to replace Tim Walz. “I expect the GOP is disappointed that they won’t have Walz as their scapegoat,” Downs said. Walz, a Democrat, has shut down his campaign for re-election to a third term. Minnesota Republicans, goaded by Trump’s incessant attacks on Walz, had pinned their 2026 gubernatorial hopes against Walz by saddling him with lax supervision of funding for private public services agencies. Come election day, Downs said, the negative feelings over recent ICE incursions may outweigh the simmering fraud issue that Republicans have been advancing.

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