Republican Chris Madel announced he is ending his campaign for Minnesota governor on Jan. 26, 2026, between 4:46 PM and 5:15 PM UTC, stating he cannot support the national GOP's "stated retribution on the citizens of our state," according to an X post by @RpsAgainstTrump shared in the reporting window. Madel said, "United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong," adding he could no longer count himself a member of a party engaging in such actions, per the X post. The announcement comes amid ongoing federal operations in Minnesota, including Operation Metro Surge and the deployment of Border Czar Tom Homan announced earlier on Jan. 26 by President Trump, as previously reported. Minnesota officials have accused the Trump administration of deploying 3,000 heavily armed agents to bypass courts, according to X posts by Politico reporter Kyle Cheney.
