Courtesy of Gage Skidmore
As the 2024 presidential election draws closer, the Minnesota governor and self-proclaimed “Midwest dad” is still establishing his presence in an arena of prominent political figures.
Before joining Kamala Harris’ ticket as her running mate, Tim Walz cemented a strong yet understated presence in state and federal government. He defeated Republican Representative Gil Gutknecht in 2006, taking his seat in the House of Representatives and serving the First Congressional District of Minnesota. He sat on the House Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs and co-chaired the National Guard and Reserve Caucus as well as the Congressional Veterans’ Jobs Caucus.
In 2019, Walz left the House of Representatives after six terms following his gubernatorial victory in Minnesota. For the past five years, he proclaimed he has “prioritized making Minnesota the best state in the country to raise a family.” Working with state legislators, he has enacted broad protections for reproductive rights, safeguarded transgender rights, and provided aid for families in the forms of paid family and medical leave, new tax credits for families with children, and free school meals for all students.
Notably, Walz deployed the Minnesota National Guard on May 28, 2020 following nights of unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul after George Floyd was killed on May 25. Walz has also been recognized for his work in Congress with awards from AMVETS, the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, the American Cancer Society, the National Association of Development Organizations, the National Farmers Union, and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Walz is originally from West Point, Nebraska. According to his bio from his time in Congress, “his parents instilled in him the values of hard work and community service.” He joined the Army National Guard after finishing high school at seventeen years old and remains the highest ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress. After earning his bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Chadron State College, he spent a year in China teaching high school students through a Harvard University program.
When he arrived home, Walz accepted a teaching position at a high school in Alliance, Nebraska, where he met his wife, Gwen Whipple. They married in 1994 and moved to Gwen’s hometown in Southern Minnesota, where they both began teaching at Mankato West High School. Walz taught geography and coached the school football team, leading them to their first state championship in 1999. He was also the faculty advisor of the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance.
Tim and Gwen Walz have been transparent in their struggles with fertility. Walz strongly opposes restrictions on in vitro fertilization–a position usually taken by conservatives on the broader topic of reproductive rights–although he and Gwen had used intrauterine insemination to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz retired from the Army National Guard in 2005 with the title Commander Sergeant Major. In his 24 years of service, he never actually served in a combat zone. His unit was deployed to Iraq three months after his departure.
Harris and Walz hadn’t interacted much before she began her deliberations for a running mate. With only sixteen days to make a decision, the Democratic nominee brought Walz in for an interview, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. She was impressed by Walz’s work in Congress and as governor. While advisors reported that had left a good impression during their conversations, what put him at the top of Harris’ list may have been his increasing clout for coining the American political sphere’s new favorite buzzword: “weird.”
Walz was critical of the Republican slate before accepting an invitation to join Harris’ ticket. In late July of this year, Walz took to referring to Donald Trump and his affiliates as “weird,” a word that is now inescapable in political conversations and claimed by Democrats and Republicans alike. Analysts say that Walz has succeeded in branding Trump in an unprecedented way, which is giving the Democratic Party some momentum in the race.
“Weird” appears particularly impactful in Walz’s home state. Locals say the label caught on because it carries more weight in the Midwest, a region so renowned for its amiable locale that the term “Midwest nice” describes expected treatment. While some Minnesotans consider the phrase candid, others find the trend of labeling the opposing side as “weird or deplorable or different” off-putting.
Historically, the choice of running mate has only a minor influence on a campaign for the presidency; however, this may not be the case when the margins are as narrow as those between Harris and Trump. Walz is set to debate J.D. Vance on October 1. His team has enlisted Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to stand in for Vance in rehearsals (he did the same for Harris, playing Pence in 2020).
In interviews leading up to the debate, Walz demonstrated his anticipation for Senator and “Yale law guy” Vance to come thoroughly prepared. He aims to emphasize factuality and optimism in his statements, “making sure [Americans] have the ability to thrive.”
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