For Immediate Release
August 1, 2025
Fellow Minnesotans,
As Phillip C. Parrish, a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander with 21 years in intelligence and counter-terrorism, an educator, farmer, and the original whistleblower who exposed over $100 million in Minnesota daycare fraud back in 2018, I am running for Governor in 2026 to put an end to the corruption, waste, and half-truths that have plagued our state under Tim Walz’s leadership. Walz’s recent press conference on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was a masterclass in deception—spinning half-truths to mask how his own policies are leaving everyday Minnesotans in genuine need behind while amplifying radical agendas that lack broad public support when the full truth is revealed. The shocking lack of transparency in his administration has allowed a small group of DFL elites to pick winners and losers in healthcare, prioritizing political pet projects over the real priorities of hardworking families, seniors, and those with disabilities. This isn’t what Minnesotans want or deserve.
Let’s start with Walz’s half-truths in that press conference. He claimed the bill adds $3.4 trillion to the national debt without mentioning that this is a static CBO estimate ignoring dynamic economic growth effects, which could reduce it to $2.8–$3.0 trillion according to analyses. He exaggerated that 85% of tax cuts go to the top 4%, a skewed figure cherry-picked from progressive sources that ignores how middle-class households under $100,000 receive about 66% of benefits in the first year, per the Tax Foundation. Walz framed Medicaid reforms as “taking away” health care from 140,000 Minnesotans, but that’s a projection based on new work requirements and verifications aimed at reducing fraud—not outright cuts—and it overlooks how these changes promote self-sufficiency while targeting waste, as evidenced by similar past programs. And his rhetoric about “shifting money” from Minnesota to tax cuts ignores the bill’s spending reductions in other areas for fiscal responsibility. These distortions aren’t innocent; they’re designed to scare voters while hiding Walz’s own failures in managing state resources.
Worse yet, Walz’s policies are directly responsible for leaving vulnerable Minnesotans behind. While he’s expanded coverage for gender-affirming care—mandating it in Medicaid and all health plans since 2023, with costs rising from under $1 million in 2019 to over $5 million in 2024—his administration has proposed and pushed through crippling cuts to disability waivers and senior care to address a $6 billion budget deficit. His FY 2026–27 budget caps inflationary increases for disability waivers at just 2% annually, slashing $1.3 billion over four years and threatening services for over 70,000 low-income Minnesotans who rely on home-based care for daily needs like mobility and feeding. This has led to warnings from advocates that 5,000–10,000 seniors could lose nursing home alternatives, increasing hospitalization risks and mortality from untreated conditions. Meanwhile, emergency medical services face $48 million in proposed reductions, and mental health investments are trimmed by $70 million, exacerbating wait times for crisis care amid a 20% drop in psych beds. Rural areas are hit hardest, with nursing home vacancy rates at 15% and longer travel for life-saving interventions like dialysis or heart surgeries. Walz’s focus on “trans refuge” laws attracting out-of-state patients has strained providers, diluting resources for cancer treatments (waits up to 45 days) and chronic disease management, where delays can drop survival rates by 10%. These aren’t abstract numbers—they’re real people like Sumukha Terakanambi, whose waiver-funded lift and care allow independent living, now at risk while Walz diverts attention to agendas that balloon costs without equivalent offsets.
These expansions amplify ideologies without genuine public backing—if the truth were fully told. A 2023 Star Tribune/MPR poll showed only 56% support for gender-affirming care protections overall, dropping to 42% among Republicans, and no recent surveys confirm majority approval for taxpayer-funded surgeries or hormones deemed “medically necessary” under Walz’s guidelines. Nationally, KFF data indicates divided opinions, with many viewing such care as elective rather than essential, especially when pitted against core needs like elder care. Walz’s PRO Act codifying abortion coverage and exemptions during COVID framed as “essential” further alienates conservatives, who see this as moral overreach. If Minnesotans knew the full cost—$200–$300 million projected over four years for these mandates amid fraud scandals—they’d reject this prioritization. Polls consistently show broad opposition to using public funds for controversial procedures when basics like special education transportation face $37 million shortfalls in districts like St. Paul.
The lack of transparency under Walz is nothing short of shocking. His administration has presided over an epidemic of fraud—ground zero in Minnesota—with scandals like the $250 million Feeding Our Future embezzlement, recent FBI raids on housing providers for “massive” Medicaid schemes potentially exceeding $1 billion, and unchecked exploitation in autism centers and sober homes. As the daycare fraud whistleblower, I’ve documented since 2018 how programs are riddled with money laundering, phantom billing, and ties to extremism, yet Walz’s “too little, too late” responses—like a centralized fraud unit in 2025—have protected insiders more than taxpayers. Ellison’s controversial 2021 meeting with FOF suspects and campaign donations from linked individuals create optics of favoritism, while Walz blocks DOJ access to voter rolls, hiding potential fraud in inflated counts that undermine budgets and pensions. This opacity lets a small cabal of DFL insiders—Walz, Ellison, and cronies—choose winners (progressive causes) and losers (disabled families, seniors), ignoring public will and eroding trust.
Minnesotans want fairness, accountability, and leaders who put people over politics. As Governor, I’ll restore transparency with a State Integrity Commission, aggressive fraud audits, and real reforms to ensure healthcare dollars go to those in true need—not divisive agendas. No more half-truths or elite favoritism. Join me at parrish4mn.com to reclaim our state.
For Minnesota First,
Phillip C. Parrish Candidate for Governor, 2026
###