Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was little-known outside his state until he surged to the top of Vice President Kamala Harris‘ running mate shortlist in recent weeks, has officially been confirmed as Harris’ vice presidential pick.
The 60-year-old governor’s track record of winning over red-leaning voters makes him a compelling choice for the Democratic presidential ticket. Here’s what to know about Harris’ running mate:
Walz has roots in rural America
Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17. He graduated from Chadron State College in 1989.
With his wife, Gwen, he moved in 1996 to Mankato, Minnesota, where he taught in a public school for more than a decade before entering politics. He also has a master’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Walz is the first vice presidential candidate on a Democratic ticket since 1964 who did not attend law school.
Walz was a teacher
Walz took up temporary teaching gigs in China and on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota before landing at Mankato West High School, where he taught geography and coached football for more than a decade.
In the mid-’90s, he became the faculty adviser to the school’s first gay-straight alliance — a role that Jacob Reitan, Mankato West’s first openly gay student, told The Washington Post was crucial.
“He set an example not just for LGTBQ students but for football players in the locker room at a time where gay people were not well understood,” Reitan said, adding that it was a sign of Walz’s ability to “sell seemingly progressive ideas to seemingly not progressive crowds.”
Walz served a red-leaning district in the U.S. House for 12 years
Walz was first elected to represent Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in the House in 2006, a seat he was re-elected to five times.
Walz ran and won his last election for the district in 2016, the same year Donald Trump swept it by 15 points.
Walz has an impressively productive — and progressive — track record as governor
Minnesota Democrats, fresh off gaining control of the state Legislature after the 2022 midterm elections, had a historically productive legislative session. With Walz as governor, they secured free school lunches and free college tuition for some families, codified abortion rights, enacted stricter gun violence prevention laws, expanded protections for transgender youth and restored voting rights for formerly incarcerated people.
The Star Tribune described the 2023 session as “one of the most consequential sessions in state history.”
Walz has changed his stance on gun safety over the years
In the early years of his congressional career, Walz, an avid hunter, had been one of the increasingly few Democrats who received an A rating from the National Rifle Association.
He began to change his tune on gun rights after the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. As a candidate for Minnesota governor, he pushed for an assault weapons ban in the state and said he would no longer accept money from the NRA.
Walz faced some criticism at the time, both from gun rights activists and from Democrats who questioned why he had changed his stance only while running for governor. He has credited his then-17-year-old daughter, Hope, for the shift, saying that she urged him to do more to stop gun violence after Parkland.
Walz is behind the ‘Republicans are weird’ refrain
Walz is not a national figure, but his TV appearances in the past few weeks have significantly boosted his name recognition and bolstered his case to be Harris’ running mate. His interviews on cable news helped underscore his relatability and his skill as a communicator, and they endeared him to many Democrats. His most effective attack on Republicans so far? “These guys are just weird!“
