In a Veepstakes like no other, Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota to be her running mate. Harris and her team, led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, conducted an intense vetting process that began shortly after President Biden withdrew his candidacy from the 2024 race. The three finalists reportedly were PA Governor Josh Shapiro, AZ Senator Mark Kelly and Governor Walz. Harris was informed by her pollsters that she had a clear path to victory with each of these final candidates which freed her to focus on who would be the best governing partner. Each brought strengths to the campaign, but after an intense final weekend including in-person interviews, Harris chose Walz.
Walz was the least well known of the final three, but his openness and instant connection with Harris proved crucial in her decision making. He expressed his willingness to work hard for her election without harboring specific ambitions for himself. He offered to do anything he could to help her get elected and fully supported her vision for the country. He is a “happy warrior” taking the fight to the other side, as he recently did in an interview when he called out Trump and Vance for just being plain weird. “These are weird people on the other side. They want to take your books away. They want to be in your exam rooms.” His remark went viral. So who is Tim Walz?
Walz grew up in a small, rural town in Nebraska. His father died when he was 19 years old so his family relied on Social Security survivor benefit checks to make ends meet. Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard immediately after graduating from high school and served for 24 years retiring as a command sergeant major, one of the top enlisted ranks in the Army. He taught abroad for a year, got his college degree and became a high school social studies teacher, who was named most inspiring teacher. Walz also coached football and helped lead the team to a state championship. He served as the advisor to the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. Walz is a gun owner and hunter who proudly has an F rating from the NRA because he supports an assault weapons ban and common sense gun laws. He is married, and he and his wife Gwen have two children, one in college and one in high school, both of whom were conceived by IVF. Oh…and until his first rally with Harris, he had never used a teleprompter! Waltz is a quick-witted, plain spoken and straightforward politician who speaks directly to the concerns of his constituents.
Walz first ran for congress in 2006, flipping Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, a Republican seat in a rural part of the state. In winning he became the highest ranking enlisted soldier to serve in Congress. He served for 12 years in the House where he was rated as one of the most bipartisan of all members by the Lugar Center. He pushed for veterans’ rights while serving on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and also served on the Agricultural Committee and the Armed Services Committee.
Walz has served two terms as Governor, campaigning on a One Minnesota platform that increased the minimum wage and provided support for school children and college students. He has signed bills enshrining reproductive rights in the wake of Roe v Wade being overturned, protected gender affirming care and legalized recreational use of marijuana. He approved funding for free school meals for all children, free tuition at public colleges for students in families earning under $80,000 annually, instituted a paid family and medical leave program, and enacted health insurance coverage regardless of a person’s immigration status. These accomplishments demonstrate both his values and his ability to get things done!
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will be a strong force on the campaign trail and, when they win in November, will make a strong governing team to lead our country forward!