Chris Madel, a Republican running for Minnesota governor, ends his bid and criticizes ICE

(CNN) — Chris Madel, a Minneapolis lawyer who represented the immigration agent who fatally shot Renee Good, said Monday that he was ending his Republican campaign for governor of Minnesota after a second protester was killed by federal authorities.

“I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state,” Madel said in a video message he posted on social media, “nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.”

Madel, who has never held elected office, launched his candidacy in December as a political outsider and a fierce defender of law enforcement. One of nearly a dozen candidates in the Republican primary for governor, Madel had been endorsed by the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis.

He gained attention this month for providing legal representation to Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who shot Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman, on January 7.

“Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threat,” Madel said in his message. “United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong.”

He said too many US citizens in Minnesota have been detained by ICE “due to the color of their skin.” He also assailed the Department of Homeland Security’s move to enter homes without a criminal warrant, as revealed in a whistleblower complaint.

“Driving while Hispanic is not a crime,” he said. “Neither is driving while Asian.”

The decision from Madel comes after federal agents killed Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center who was protesting immigration actions. A CNN video analysis appears to show a federal immigration officer removing a gun from Pretti just prior to officers fatally shooting him.

“I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them, ‘I believe I did what was right,’” Madel said. “And I am doing that today.”

Madel’s blistering critique of the Trump administration’s actions are notable given his legal assistance for Ross. His comments come as some Republicans nationally are beginning to question the actions of federal agents.

The escalating tensions in Minnesota have roiled the state’s politics three weeks after Gov. Tim Walz ended his reelection bid in the wake of a deepening federal investigation into a scandal over social services programs in Minnesota.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar filed paperwork last week to form a campaign committee to run for governor. She delayed a formal announcement after Pretti’s killing, saying she was more focused on trying to get ICE agents out of Minnesota than launching a campaign.

The remaining Republican candidates for governor include Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House, who is the highest-ranking Republican in the state. Demuth on Monday praised President Donald Trump’s announcement that border czar Tom Homan would be traveling to Minnesota, calling it “an opportunity for a reset” between federal and state authorities.

Madel appeared to be gaining ground, often finishing in the top share of Republican challengers in unofficial party straw polls.

No Republican candidate has won a statewide election in Minnesota since 2006 – a fact Madel noted in his video message.

“National Republicans have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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