U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is weighing a run for Minnesota governor, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: The four-term senator — one of the state's highest-profile and most popular Democrats — would be an instant frontrunner in the race to succeed DFL Gov. Tim Walz.

State of play: The buzz about a Klobuchar bid comes on the heels of Walz's Monday announcement that he is scrapping plans to run for an unprecedented third consecutive term.

* Reports that the two top Democrats met privately over the weekend — and the registration of several website domain names such as Klobucharforgovernor.com — further fueled the speculation.