Gov. Tim Walz is going to Republican districts to hold town hall

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hit the road this weekend on the first leg of a national town hall tour of congressional districts represented by Republicans who aren’t holding public meetings of their own.

Walz planned to stop on Friday in Windsor Heights, Iowa, which is represented by Rep. Zach Nunn, and visit Rep. Don Bacon’s district in Nebraska on Saturday, the governor’s spokesman said.

Both Republicans won re-election in competitive races last fall.

Walz, who raised his national profile last year as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, also plans town halls in Wisconsin, Ohio and some of Minnesota’s four districts represented by Republicans.

He first floated the idea of visiting conservative districts last week in a post on X, responding to a report that national Republicans had advised their members to avoid town hall meetings.

Some Republicans have faced public backlash over moves from the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to slash the federal workforce and spending.

“If your Republican representative won’t meet with you because their agenda is so unpopular, maybe a Democrat will,” Walz said in his post. “Hell, maybe I will.

“If your congressman refuses to meet, I’ll come host an event in their district to help local Democrats beat ‘em.”

Since losing his vice presidential bid in November, Walz has positioned himself as a voice for the Democratic Party in response to the Trump administration.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, has also traveled to states for events in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory last fall, and Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy has positioned himself as a combatant to Republicans nationally.

Walz is openly considering seeking a third term as Minnesota governor in 2026 and has left the door open to a national run in 2028. However, he downplayed a possible presidential run in announcing the town hall tour.

Walz told MSNBC that if Democrats don’t show up and talk to people, “Donald Trump, all the podcasts, all the money will fill that void.”

“I hope people show up at that town hall and say, ‘Look, governor, what are you offering? Are you offering anything better?’” he said. “That’s fair, but to turn your back and not do it, it’s dangerous.”

Walz said he will make the case for why voters in the districts should support Democrats instead of Republicans. The Iowa Democratic Party is fundraising off of Walz’s visit. Tickets to the first town hall sold out.

The local state parties will cover the costs of the town halls, and the governor’s campaign will cover his travel.

Walz spoke to a crowd of nearly 1,000 at a high school near Des Moines, Iowa, Friday. The school was in the district of Nunn, who won reelection by 4 percentage points in 2024.

“There’s a responsibility in this time of chaos where elected officials need to hear what people are irritated about,” Walz said. “And I would argue that Democratic officials should hear the primal scream that’s coming from America and do something.”

The crowd gave Walz a standing ovation.

Nunn, in a statement to the Associated Press, said he’s held “hundreds” of listening sessions with Iowans.

“While out-of-state Democrats hold fundraisers disguised as forums, we’re focused on real results,” he said.

This story includes material from the Associated Press.