Chris Madel, a conservative lawyer who ran in the Republican primaries to be the next governor of Minnesota, announced on Monday that he is withdrawing, lashing out against the Government and his own political party for what has happened in recent weeks. "I cannot support the retaliation that Republicans at the national level intend to exercise against the citizens of our state", he explained in a surprise 10-minute video. "Nor can I consider myself a member of a party that would do such a thing," he emphasized after two deaths, one gunshot wound, and countless irregularities, especially involving minors and vulnerable individuals.
Madel launched his campaign on December 1 precisely against insecurity and illegal immigration. Today, he reiterated that he supported and supports what were supposed to be the objectives of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployment in his state, specifically including the deportation of undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records. However, Madel regrets that the operation has extended far beyond its initial focus on real threats to public safety.
The lawyer, who has been a legal advisor to the agent who killed Renée Good, a 38-year-old mother of three shot dead while driving her car and arguing with ICE agents, was not the clear favorite in the primaries, but had been emerging among the top two or three in the polls over the past two months. His chances were very slim even in case of victory because Democrats have been dominating the state for 20 years, but several fraud cases, along with security rhetoric, seemed to have opened a loophole.
His resignation carries significant symbolic weight and reflects the crisis of the Republican Party in the state, caught between loyalty - or submission - to the president and the reality on the streets. ICE and other agencies have been overstepping their bounds across the country for a year, but while the rhetoric focused on immigrants, especially irregular ones, there wasn't as much of a problem. But now the Minnesota operation has crossed all the red lines of the state's own conservatives, with dozens and dozens of cases involving minors, including two- or five-year-old children, detained by agents or sent to other states despite court orders, as well as against vulnerable individuals.
The country is distracted by many other things, but information in Minnesota is monopolized by images of clashes with the civilian population, threats from masked agents, violence, and raids at school or church doors. Not to mention waiters detained in hotels or restaurants where agents eat and sleep. "The Metro Surge Operation has extended far beyond its stated goal of addressing real threats to public safety," Madel stated in his message. "American citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. American citizens are having to carry documents to prove their citizenship. That is unacceptable," he concluded.
State politics are in disarray. Governor Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris's vice presidential candidate in 2024, announced a few days ago that he will not seek reelection, heavily criticized in the public opinion for several fraud cases in social services programs that his Administration did not stop.
Similarly, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar submitted all the necessary documentation last week to form an exploratory campaign committee with the ultimate goal of running for governor. However, she postponed the formal announcement after the murder of Alex Pretti on Saturday, stating that she was "more focused on getting ICE agents out of Minnesota than launching her campaign."
No Republican candidate has won a state election in Minnesota since 2006, a particularly important detail that Madel explicitly mentioned in his farewell video. "Republicans at the national level have made it practically impossible for a Republican to win a state election in Minnesota", he lamented.