Minn gov candidate says locals cheer Walz scrapping re-election as much as Venezuelans cheer Maduro's fall

U.S. Army veteran and businessman Kendall Qualls, a gubernatorial candidate for Minnesota, quipped on Tuesday about a parallel he saw between the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and the departure of Gov. Tim Walz from the race.

 "I can’t tell you who is celebrating more, Minnesotans or the people of Venezuela. I think there’s a competition there," Qualls said on "Fox & Friends First." 

Walz announced on Monday that he's dropping his bid for a third term as governor amid stinging criticism of his handling of his state's massive welfare assistance fraud scandal. Businesses ranging from daycares to nonprofits allegedly used state policies to take what some estimate to be about $9 billion in taxpayer dollars.

LOEFFLER: VAST NETWORK OF SOMALI NONPROFITS RIPPED OFF MINNESOTA’S WELFARE STATE

Kendall Qualls (right) is running to replace Tim Walz as governor of Minnesota.  (Getty Images)

Qualls characterized Walz's two terms governing Minnesota as a failure.

"I can tell you, his tenure here – two terms – have been an absolute disaster," he said. "His first term will be known for letting the city of Minneapolis, one of the crown jewels of our city-big cities of the country, burn to the ground, as well as the second term of this fraud case we are seeing today. Over this whole timeframe, the state has basically declined economically for 20 years and most recently under his watch."

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Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota announced on Monday that he's dropping his bid for a third term as governor amid stinging criticism of his handling of his state's massive welfare assistance fraud scandal. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Qualls went on to make the case that Minnesota is ultimately a centrist state. He believes that a political outsider like him, who has served in the military and become a successful business executive after growing up both in both Harlem and a trailer park in Oklahoma, is a testament to the American story.

"What I have learned over the course of this time is that no matter where you start in life, you don’t have to stay there for the rest of your life in this country. There is a pathway out," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz's office and did not receive immediate reply.

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walk out on stage together during a campaign event on August 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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