Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who previously ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic vice presidential candidate, is starting a political committee aimed at rural communities. This initiative comes amid a significant fraud scandal in his state and a recent commitment to support the Somali community in Minnesota.
Walz announced on Monday:
“Today, we’re launching Small Town PAC. We’re showing up in small towns, organizing in areas where many have given up, and building strength with the people who call these places home. If Democrats want to win in more areas, we need to start working where it matters.”
Walz said in the Politico Playbook, “Republicans like J.D. Vance often depict their small-town neighbors as narrow-minded and resentful. I don’t agree. Honestly, I think it’s Republicans like Vance who are the actual issues facing these small towns.”
He further emphasized, “We aim to identify teachers, nurses, workers, veterans, and young people in small towns across America who can better represent their communities than those from Silicon Valley.”
A spokesperson for Vance responded, stating, “The main issue for many small towns in Minnesota is that Tim Walz is financing fraudulent childcare centers.”
The exchange occurred after the 2024 election, where both Walz and Vance were vice presidential candidates for their respective parties. Polling before the debate showed that Vance was regarded as more trustworthy than Walz on various topics such as immigration, national security, and the economy, with a September 2024 Senate Opportunity Fund poll indicating a lead for Vance on these matters by 3 to 6 points.
Post-debate, both CBS News and CNN polls indicated that, while it was a close contest, many viewers felt Vance came out on top.
Following Donald Trump’s election, Vance was put in charge of “the war on fraud,” particularly overseeing welfare and childcare programs in Minnesota. He later cited allegations regarding vacant childcare centers, with reports arising when citizen journalist Nick Shirley shared a video that seemingly showed an empty facility still receiving government funds.
In January, Vance called for Walz’s resignation, stating that Walz either “knew about the wrongdoing in Minneapolis” or “turned a blind eye.”
A March report from the House Oversight Committee stated that Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison were aware of extensive fraud within federally funded welfare programs, claiming they misled the public about their knowledge of the issues and retaliated against whistleblowers. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer remarked, “The evidence suggests that Gov. Walz and AG Ellison knew of widespread fraud and acted to silence those who raised concerns.”
The commission’s investigation looked into the “Feeding Our Future” case, with the Justice Department indicting 47 individuals in 2021, labeled the “largest pandemic-era fraud scheme” by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Federal prosecutors alleged that a significant number of those involved, linked to Minnesota’s Somali community, diverted funds from child nutrition programs.
During the “No Kings” protest in Minneapolis on March 28, Walz assured the crowd that his administration would “never leave” the Somali Minnesotans behind.
