Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz campaigns at State Fair Park on Nov. 4, 2024 in Milwaukee.Spencer Platt / Getty Images file

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday announced that he would seek re-election to a third term in 2026.

"I want to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance to succeed, in every corner of the state," Walz said in an announcement video.

Minnesota is one of several states that allows incumbent governors to serve more than two terms. Walz, the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in 2024, joins Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, also a Democrat, in seeking a third term in 2026.

Several Republican candidates have already launched their campaigns, including state Rep. Kristin Robbins and Scott Jensen, who was the 2022 GOP nominee for governor.

Walz was re-elected to a second term four years ago, beating Jensen by more than 7 percentage points.

Two years later, then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried Minnesota with Walz on her ticket in the 2024 presidential election, but by a slimmer margin of just over 4 percentage points.

Minnesota has trended slightly more in favor of Democrats in recent years, though it has long had a reputation as a swing state.

Walz rose to national prominence last year as Harris' running mate in the presidential election, jumping into the campaign in August after then-President Joe Biden suspended his re-election bid in July.

Since that campaign ended, the governor has fueled speculation that he could run for president himself in 2028, when a crowded field of ambitious Democrats is expected to seek the presidency.

In the spring, Walz began to travel to several early Democratic presidential primary states, including Iowa and South Carolina, and offered public analysis of why he thought Democrats lost in 2024.

Back home, Walz has had to deal with two high-profile violent incidents in Minnesota this year.

In June, state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot and state Sen. John Hoffman was shot and injured in what Walz at the time called "politically motivated" attacks against the Democratic legislators.

And just last month, two students at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis died were shot and killed and several others were injured after a suspect opened fire during the school's Catholic mass.

In his announcement video, Walz said of his state, "I've seen how we help each other through the hard times, and boy, we've seen terrible times this year. I'm heartbroken and angry about the beautiful people we lost to gun violence. But it's in these moments that we have to come together."

Walz earlier this month called for a special session in the Minnesota state legislature, during which he hopes to pass a package of gun control legislation.

The governor's announcement on Tuesday coincided with the date of a special legislative election to fill Hortman's vacant seat in the state legislature.

Walz, who worked closely with Hortman, referred to her following her death earlier this year as a "great leader" and a "formidable public servant," who served with "grace, compassion, and tirelessness."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will run for a third term in 2026