Tim Walz, a former teacher and member of the US Army National Guard, has gone viral for attacking Donald Trump and JD Vance as “weird,” an insult the Harris campaign has embraced.
But could you hug the governor of Minnesota entirely and put it on the presidential ballot?
Walz may not have the same profile as other vice presidential hopefuls, but he is in a good position and has demonstrated appeal to rural white voters. He has championed progressive policies, including free school meals and expanded paid work leave.
He also enacted the law called Taylor Swift bill, sparked by one lawmaker’s frustration over not being able to buy tickets to Swift’s 2023 concert in Minneapolis. The law requires ticket sellers to disclose all fees in advance and prohibits resellers from selling more than one copy of a ticket to live events held in Minnesota.
And while Minnesota is a solidly Democratic state, it is close to Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battlegrounds. In 2020, Minnesota voted for Biden/Harris by a fairly comfortable margin, but the president’s victory in Wisconsin was by a margin of just 0.63%.
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Walz, 60, was born and raised in a small town Nebraska. He now studied in the Ivy League, but graduated from public schools in Minnesota and Nebraska.
He became a teacher, first in Porcelain, then Nebraska and finally in Minnesota, where he taught geography and coached the high school football team. He also served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. It’s this simple, down-home style that has helped him connect with everyday Americans.
Heidi Heitkamp, the former senator, described him as “someone with a lived experience that is very comparable to that of many people in rural America.”
Walz was an early advocate for LGBT rights, serving as the faculty advisor for his school’s first gay-straight alliance in 1999, long before Democrats openly supported gay rights.
He first ran for office in 2006 in a Republican-leaning congressional district, dispatching the incumbent in a surprise and holding the district for ten years. He ran for governor in 2018 and won, successfully defending the seat again in 2022.
Walz co-chairs the Democratic National Convention rules committee and had maintained strong support for President Biden despite his Unstable performance in the debate in June.
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Photo: AP
Walz has been described as having the “most progressive record” of any of Harris’ potential running mates chosen.
Their accomplishments include guaranteeing free meals at participating state universities, enshrining abortion rights in state law, banning conversion therapy, and providing protections for gender-affirming health care.
Walz, photographed in 2010. Photo: AP
When asked about this on television, she responded: “What a monster! Kids eat and have full bellies so they can go learn. Women make their own healthcare decisions. And we’re one of the top five business states.” and we also occupy a place in the top three for happiness.”
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