Chris Madel, a Republican running for governor in Minnesota, announced today that he is ending his campaign in protest of the president’s immigration enforcement actions in the state. “I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so,” he said. “I supported the originally stated goals of ICE’s Operation Metro Surge in locating and deporting the worst of the worst from our state.” “But Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats. United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong.” “At the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye, tell them that I believe that I did what was right. And I am doing that today.” “National Republicans have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota. It’s a simple fact,” he also said. “Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota has been an unmitigated disaster.”

CHRIS MADEL: I love Minnesota. I was born and raised here. My immediate family lives here. My extended family lives here. It’s my home. I decided to run for governor because I firmly believe that Minnesota needs serious and systemic change. Fraud is rampant. Our streets are unsafe. We need to honor and respect law enforcement much more. Our education results lag behind Mississippi. Our taxes are absurdly high, and we’re losing great businesses and people because of those taxes and ever-increasing regulations. I believe Minnesota has seriously lost its way. Since I announced my candidacy on December 1, I am extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished. I started as a relative unknown candidate and emerged as a leading Republican contender in less than two months. Honestly, we’ve accomplished more in less than two months than I ever dreamed possible, and I cannot thank my friends and supporters enough for getting me here. You’ve been there for me, and I will forever be grateful. But today, I announce the end of my campaign. I have two primary reasons for this decision. Number one: I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so. I support the originally stated goals of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Metro Surge in locating and deporting the worst of the worst from our state, and I’ve seen many examples of ICE arresting non-U.S. citizens in Minnesota convicted of serious crimes, including murder, rape, and child sexual assault. No reasonable person should want these people here, and I am glad that they are gone. But Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats. United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong. ICE authorizes agents to raid homes using a civil warrant that need only be signed by a border patrol agent. That’s unconstitutional, and it is wrong. Weaponizing criminal investigations against political opponents is unconstitutional, regardless of who is in power. Republicans and Democrats alike have engaged in this misconduct. Both must be held to the same standard. They need to do better. And I have read about and I’ve spoken to countless United States citizens who have been detained in Minnesota due to the color of their skin. I’ve personally spoken to several law enforcement officers-some Hispanic and some Asian-pulled over by ICE on pretextual stops. Driving while Hispanic is not a crime. Either is driving while Asian. At the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye, tell them that I believe that I did what was right. And I am doing that today. Now the second reason I’m ending my campaign is that I am, above all else, a pragmatist. The reality is that national Republicans have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota. It’s a simple fact. And I want to make clear that many unfairly do not provide the president with nearly enough credit for some of the things he has done for our country. For example, I watched as many protested Israel’s treatment of Gazans and called for a ceasefire. I watched with disbelief and dismay when several of our educational institutions, including the University of Minnesota and my alma mater, Macalester College, did little to nothing to ensure the safety of Jewish students throughout that process. But when the president obtained an historic ceasefire, these pro-Gaza protesters went completely silent. I’ve also been listening to presidents since the 1980s complain that NATO countries are not paying their agreed-upon share of defense spending. The president is the first to induce NATO countries to increase their defense spending as a percentage of their respective GDPs so that the United States doesn’t have to. The president has signed the bipartisan Take It Down Act in May 2025 and the bipartisan Medal of Honor Act in December 2025, and just this month he signed bipartisan funding of resources for public safety, energy independence, national security, and environmental stewardship. Plus, in the past week he proposed capping credit card interest rates at 10% for a year. Even Bernie Sanders seems to like that idea. Now with that said, Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota has been an unmitigated disaster. Make no mistake: Republicans in our state have also screwed up. Minnesota House Republican leadership, including two of the Republican candidates for governor, have done nothing to properly investigate Minnesota fraud. Instead, they’ve chosen to write strongly worded letters to people and ask the federal government to do their jobs, ask for a new bureaucrat-an inspector general-to come in. The remedy is not more government. We need to do better in this state, not rely on a YouTuber in order to ferret out fraud in our state. Our government has failed us-Republicans and Democrats. I’m not withdrawing my candidacy because of any existing or new entrant in the race. That includes Senator Klobuchar. Truth be told, I beat her in a courtroom. If this trajectory continues in my campaign and if Minnesota wasn’t being substantially impacted by Washington, D.C., I believe I would have beat her at the ballot box. I’ve built a career frequently representing the underdog. I have placed my reputation on the line time and time again for my clients. I truly love being a lawyer. It provides you with the forum to stand up for those that need help-whether it’s representing the hero trooper Ryan Launerigan, a Somali teenager alleged to have tweeted threats, Liz Collin, or Alpha News. I’ve repeatedly stood up to defend our great nation’s constitutional protections, even when many said it would hurt my business or my career. This month I helped the ICE agent Jonathan Ross fill out a form to obtain U.S. Department of Justice legal representation if he’s ever sued or charged with a crime. I did this just like I have helped hundreds of other people find good lawyers, including on immigration matters. I do this because I believe the constitutional right to counsel is sacrosanct, and it is indispensable to protecting individual liberty against the overwhelming power of government. True Americans love justice. Justice requires excellent legal representation. After ICE released my name to the media and said that I was helping Agent Ross, I was honored to receive communications from dozens of attorneys that congratulated me for helping a person in need, particularly during a gubernatorial campaign. But three lawyers publicly criticized me for helping Agent Ross. As lawyers, we take an oath to uphold the United States and Minnesota state constitutions. These three lawyers betrayed that oath. History crowns the courageous and condemns the mob. These lawyers chose the mob. I am proud to continue the great tradition of President John Adams-criminal defense lawyer, including the brave federal and state public defenders across our great state. President Adams and these lawyers should be counted as champions of our Constitution and the rule of law. One of my most favorite questions to ask my conservative friends who say denigrating things about criminal defense lawyers, including public defenders, is to ask this: If Jesus Christ were walking the earth today, would he be a prosecutor or a public defender? We all know the answer. So today I end my candidacy as Governor of the great state of Minnesota. Believe me, if I could reach into my pocket and pull out the necessary many millions to run as an independent, I would. But again, reality guides my decision. One final note: I ask all Minnesotans to please do more to respect and thank our state and local law enforcement officers, particularly those in the Minneapolis Police Department. We know that federal immigration operations have led to increased street-level activity, community disruptions, and complaints about tactics that affect the public trust. We also know that the Governor, Attorney General, and the Mayor of Minneapolis have prohibited state and local law enforcement from assisting their federal counterparts, even when those federal law enforcement officers had been physically attacked by agitators. This has created extreme challenges for local police. They have to balance following state orders, maintaining safety, relationships in diverse communities, navigating the fallout from federal actions occurring within their jurisdictions without full coordination or cooperation. They’re stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. It is unfair. Our hearts should go out to them. Mine certainly does. Please remember that these cops are good guys trying to protect you. Please understand the difficult circumstances placed on them. Thank them for their service. I again want to thank all who have supported me. I will never forget your help, your encouragement, and your service. I’ll also be returning every penny of the money contributed to my campaign. You should not have to pay for my decision to withdraw.