Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) is warning that Democrats should not take the reliably blue state of Minnesota for granted in the 2024 election cycle.

In an interview with the Washington Post this week, Walz, also the head of the Democratic Governors Association, sought to downplay political operatives stressing over President Joe Biden’s reelection chances while simultaneously advising for more investment in Minnesota.

“I think that Democrats are concerned just because the stakes are so high, but I think what I would tell those pundits and a lot of times if you’re really freaking out it’s because you’re not on the ground doing the work,” Walz told the Washington Post. “You’re not witnessing the 18 field offices opening up in Minnesota, the Biden-Harris campaign not taking Minnesota for granted. It’s going to be close out here. We’re not a given.

“We have the longest record of voting for Democrats of any of the states because we made the wise choice for Walter Mondale, but in all those years since then it’s been close,” Walz continued. “And we worked hard. So my message to them is this is not that unusual.”

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign previously claimed that blue-leaning Minnesota and Virginia were in play during a retreat with GOP donors. The Biden campaign dismissed those claims as a result of biased polling in a press call with reporters earlier this month.

“We feel strongly the Biden-Harris coalition in both Minnesota and Virginia, which has been strong in the midterms and off-year elections, will continue to be strong for us,” Biden campaign battleground states director Dan Kanninen said.

But if Trump were to flip Minnesota somehow, it would likely spell the end of Biden’s reelection chances, though Walz downplayed the GOP’s chances in the North Star State.

“Just look at the fundamentals. … There’s not a Trump field office,” Walz said. “The Republican Party in Minnesota last time they filed their financial returns had $52 in the bank, and they haven’t won a statewide race here since 2006. But yeah, I think when you’re hearing that Minnesota, that we take it seriously, we do. My hope is the Trump campaign spends a lot of money here, which takes money away from North Carolina, which takes money from somewhere else.”

The Biden campaign is hoping to flip North Carolina, a red-leaning state that has not voted for a Democrat since Barack Obama in 2008.

Democrats are hoping Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R-NC), the GOP nominee for governor with a history of inflammatory comments, will help boost turnout and benefit Biden come November.

“North Carolina’s economy is hot,” Walz added. “They are thriving. So I think we have that going for us, but you do have a very clear contrast down there. You’ve got the current attorney general in Josh Stein (D) running against Mark Robinson (R).”

However, this week, the Cook Political Report changed the rating of the gubernatorial race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up,” due to Robinson’s improving fundraising prowess.

Walz addressed another key concern that has plagued Democrats recently: the tilt of black men toward the GOP.

“As far as black voters, I think there’s a strong case to be made, and my friend Wes Moore in Maryland has talked to me about this, (the) Democratic Party is doing a lot of good things around this,” Walz said.

“But the one thing is, I think, especially amongst black men, is they hear this idea that they’re somehow broken and so we should get their vote because we restored the right to felons to vote, which is a good thing,” he continued. “But a lot of my friends who are entrepreneurs don’t need to have the right restored to vote. They need access to capital. And they need their schools to be delivering for their children as well as they’re delivering for my children. And I think some of this is no one’s really talking about this.”

The Republican National Committee took to social media to highlight Walz’s comments.

An April poll of seven swing states from the Wall Street Journal showed roughly 30% of black men said they were either definitely or probably going to vote for Trump in November. Although not a direct comparison, an Associated Press VoteCast national poll found 12% of black men supported Trump in 2020.

Trump may not even need as many black men to support him, just as long as he can convince enough of them to either stay home in November or vote third party.

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Walz, however, claimed that honestly talking to the concerns of black men and other minority groups can help Democrats as the election draws near.

“And I think once we get closer to the election, once the campaign starts to hone in, you see the president focusing on these groups, and we need to talk honestly to them,” Walz said. “And then with Hispanic voters, we need to have an honest conversation about all of the things that they care about, and that includes immigration, a real conversation about how do we secure the border. But at the same time, celebrate the … immigrant community we have here and understanding we need it for the economy.”