MINNESOTA Governor Tim Walz has officially been chosen as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Walz rocketed to national fame in recent weeks when his name appeared on Harris’ list of top picks.
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All signs pointed to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro emerging as the favorite, but Walz ultimately cruised to victory in the veepstakes.
Now that Walz has risen to prominence, the internet is digging into his past and getting to know the former social studies teacher.
Walz is 60 years old and has served as governor since 2019.
He also served in the army and worked as a teacher before beginning his career in public service.
This comes as…
Walz’s age is a hot topic as Americans have championed younger candidates following the administrations of Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
While some voters speculated that Walz was too old to take office, many pointed out that he is only a year older than Harris.
Social media mocked the fact that Walz looked older than Harris and joked that people in the Midwest age faster.
“He’s 60” was a popular phrase on X following the announcement, with one user sharing a conversation they had with a friend discussing Walz’s age.
In response to a friend saying Walz looked over 60, user he responded“He’s 60 years old in Minnesota.”
“He fought in a war and taught children. It will age you”, argued another in the comments.
A third joked: “I mean he’s just Country 60, he’s got Bubba Energy which is NOT a bad thing, we kinda need Bubba Energy on the pass.”
“(Note: a Bubba is *not* a redneck. A Bubba is a country boy who always lends a helping hand when needed and helps a neighbor),” they added.
‘YOUNGER THAN BRAD PITT!’
Another user posted a side-by-side comparison between Walz and Brad Pitt, pointing out that Walz is younger than the heartthrob actor.
Walz and Pitt are both 60 years old, however, Pitt was born in 1963 and Walz in 1964.
Walz is also two years younger than Tom Cruise, born in July 1962.
Harris was born the same year as Walz and will turn 60 in October, just a month before the election.
Walz is 18 years younger than Trump and 21 years younger than Biden.
Social media users were quick to do the math, writing in the X: “Tim Walz is younger than Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and (dare I say) even Keanu Reeves.”
Harris’ running mate enlisted in the Army National Guard at just 17 years old and served in the military for 24 years.
After his military service, Walz earned a degree in education and taught for a year in China before returning to Nebraska to teach high school.
Social media users have already discovered Old pictures of Walz, including a portrait of his military service.
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“Young Tim was cute,” one comment read.
“Oh he’s cute,” agreed another.
waltz shared a photo of his youth in his Army uniform in 2022 on Facebook, with the throwback caption: “To all current and former military personnel, we thank you for your service.”
“As a 24-year veteran of the National Guard, I care deeply about how our veterans are treated when they return home. I will always fight for you.”
Who is Governor Tim Walz?
Kamala Harris has chosen Governor Tim Walz as her running mate after weeks of chaos for the Democratic Party. Here’s what you should know about your choice.
Democratic politician Walz became Minnesota’s 41st governor in 2019.
The 60-year-old is a retired teacher and former non-commissioned officer in the US Army.
Walz graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2001 and Chadron State College in 1989.
He has been married to his wife and fellow teacher Gwen Walz since 1994.
The pair share two children named Hope and Gus, who were conceived through IVF and fertility treatments, according to the Star Tribune.
Hope graduated from a Montana college, while Gus attends a public school in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Walz was born at West Point, Nebraskain 1964, and grew up in Valentine.
He is known for being punctual and graduated from Butte High School in Butte, Nebraska in 1982.
In 1989, he taught English in China and learned to speak Mandarin.
Walz stopped drinking alcohol after getting a DWI in Nebraska in 1995.
Officers stopped him for going 96 mph in a 55 mph zone, and a breathalyzer test found his blood alcohol concentration was 0.128, according to court records.
After his arrest, he struck a plea deal to have the charges reduced, which was a topic of conversation when he first ran for Congress in 2006.
When state troopers drive Walz around in the state SUV as part of his administration, he sits in the front passenger seat because he gets carsick in the back seats, according to the Star Tribune.
When Walz was 19, his father died of lung cancer.
His mother, Darlene Rose, still lives in Nebraska and sometimes visits her son at the Capitol.
APPLATIZING BACK
Walz recently responded to critics for commenting on how he is aging.
He explained that he is elderly because “he supervised the cafeteria for 20 years.
“You don’t leave this job with a full head. Trust me,” Walz added.
Other social media users defended Walz with one writing, “people saying Tim Walz looks old but that’s how people age in the Midwest, the winters are cold and the summers are hot.”
“Being a teacher and an enlisted soldier for 20 years will do that to you…” wrote another.
Walz began campaigning, joining Harris in the swing state of Pennsylvania for a rally on the day he was named running mate.
Walz is expected to join Harris at remaining campaign events and will officially accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention beginning August 19.
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JD VANCE VS TIM WALZ
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance had full lives before becoming politicians.
Walz and Vance both served in the military. Walz was in the Army National Guard for 24 years and JD Vance was in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years.
Veterans also share a love for Diet Mountain Dew.
However, Walz spent most of his adult life as a high school teacher and taught for a year in China after graduating from college.
In 1999, he was the faculty advisor for the first Gay Straight Alliance at the school where he worked.
Walz only entered politics in 2004, when he volunteered for John Kerry’s presidential campaign.
In 2006, he ran for Congress and defeated incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht. He served until 2019, when he was elected governor of Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Vance grew up after a tumultuous childhood in Ohio and went to college after serving in the Navy.
After graduating from Ohio State University, he attended Yale Law School, where he began writing his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
Vance briefly worked in politics before moving to the technology sector in California, where he met venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
In 2016, he published his book and became a well-known name in popular culture.
Vance, once staunchly anti-Donald Trump, ran for Senate on a pro-MAGA platform in 2022 and was elected with Trump’s blessing.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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