A top Republican candidate for governor of Minnesota dropped out of the race on Monday, citing the “unmitigated disaster” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state as the driving force for his withdrawal.
Minneapolis-based attorney Chris Madel announced his decision in a video posted to X.
“I cannot support the … stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so,” he said. “United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong.”
Madel’s law firm, Madel PA, provided legal counsel to Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Good on January 7 in Minneapolis, sparking widespread protests in the city. While an advocate for deporting undocumented immigrants involved in major crimes, Madel said ICE’s Operation Metro Surge has “expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats.” He said that ICE’s actions, ordered by a Republican president, have made winning a statewide election as a Republican “nearly impossible.”
I am ending my campaign for Minnesota Governor. I describe why in the below video. Please watch until the end. (It is 10 minutes, 52 seconds.)
Thank you,Chris pic.twitter.com/2nfyAyTzNZ
— Chris Madel (@CWMadel) January 26, 2026
“At the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them: ‘I believe I did what was right.’ And I am doing that today,” Madel said.
In his announcement, Madel expressed support for Minneapolis law enforcement, who he said were caught between “a rock and hard place” in being ordered not to assist federal officers as protests continue throughout the city.
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The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party called on other Republicans in the state to “stand up to Trump” in the wake of Madel’s announcement.
“Will other Republicans finally stand up to Trump and stand with their fellow Minnesotans? Or will they put their political careers first and foremost while their neighbors suffer?” Chair Richard Carlbom said in a statement.
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