(NewsNation) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is campaigning for the White House alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.
Walz was first named a contender for Harris’ running mate at the end of July. Democrats applauded what they consider his affable persona, praise among unions and national experience as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’ VP pick
Appealing to Democratic voters helped Walz earn his spot as Harris’ running mate, especially after his comments regarding former President Donald Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
On July 26, Walz posted to X, poking fun at Trump’s recent campaign visit to his state.
“Donald Trump is coming back to the State of Hockey tomorrow for the hat trick,” Walz wrote. “He lost Minnesota in ’16, ’20, and he’ll lose it again in ’24.”
During the early months of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, Walz was full-throated in his defense of Biden, releasing a fundraising email on Biden’s behalf titled “Minnesotans Love Joe Biden.”
“I have to say this about Minnesota: It’s a great state, full of great people. And sometimes they do crazy things,” Walz wrote, such as making “political sideshows for themselves.”
However, Walz was the one who organized a call with other Democratic governors following Biden’s poor debate performance in June, expressing concern about the president’s ability to run for reelection.
Ultimately, Walz stood by Biden until the president announced he was ending his 2024 presidential campaign.
“Joe Biden’s stunning act of patriotism proves yet again why he’s a better president and a better man than Donald Trump. Biden cares more about the country than he does about himself,” Walz posted to X.
Tim Walz’s path to becoming Minnesota’s governor
Walz, a Nebraska native, enlisted in the National Guard out of high school at 17 years old and served 24 years. He also worked in agriculture and manufacturing before graduating from Chadron State College with a degree in education.
The veteran temporarily taught in China and on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is one of the poorest areas in the country.
While teaching, Walz met his wife, Gwen Walz, and married her in 1994. The two moved to Minnesota, his wife’s home state, where they raised their two kids Hope and Gus.
In Mankato, Minnesota, Walz taught high school geography and coached football after earning his master’s degree in education.
But being raised by his parents to value public service, Walz pursued politics.
After retiring from the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery in 2005, Walz ran for Congress, winning a seat in the House in 2006. He served six terms in the House, representing Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
During his time in Congress, he served on three House committees: Agriculture, Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs. He was also the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress.
After serving 12 years in Congress, Walz pursued his campaign for Minnesota governor.
In 2018, he was elected as the state’s 41st governor. He won reelection in 2022.
Tim Walz’s relationship with Kamala Harris
After the news that Biden dropped out of the presidential election, Walz threw his full support behind Harris.
“I’m proud to give Kamala my full support and commit to doing everything in my power to make sure she gets elected in November,” Walz posted on X.
Harris doesn’t have much of a relationship with Midwest voters, something that Walz could help her campaign secure as her running mate this November.
Axios reported Walz would add to Harris’ campaign, providing a consistent progressive voice to the ticket which could help secure white working-class support in Midwestern states.
“In terms of auditioning, (Walz is) doing an exceptional job,” a person familiar with the Harris campaign’s VP conversations told Politico. “He’s got the Midwest grit, the Midwest sensibility and that appeal goes beyond the Midwest.”
However, the report said Harris’ circle was weighing how well the vice president would mesh with Walz, especially since he has been known to be a bit gruff during his congressional years.
Walz has since been out on the campaign trail for Harris, promoting the vice president and saying he will do whatever it takes to get her elected in November.
Walz, Democrats call Trump, Vance ‘weird’
Shortly after announcing her campaign, Harris and her Democratic allies branded Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, as “weird.”
“These guys are just weird,” Walz said in an MSNBC interview. “They’re running for He-man women-haters club or something.”
David Karpf, a strategic communication professor at George Washington University told The Associated Press that the “weird” criticism is the sort of concise take that resonates quickly with Harris supporters.
It also “frustrates opponents, leading them to further amplify it through off-balance responses,” he said.
Trump later mocked Walz as a “whack job” in response to Democrats’ name-calling.
Tim Walz’s political track record
Walz easily won his gubernatorial reelection bid in 2022, allowing the Minnesota governor to continue to build on what he says are his “signature accomplishments.”
Some of the legislation the governor has touted includes:
- Providing universal free school meals for students
- Protecting reproductive rights for women
- Strengthening voting rights
- Laying the groundwork to get Minnesota to 100% clean electricity by 2040
- Cutting taxes for the middle class
- Expanding paid leave for Minnesota workers
The 60-year-old is not up for reelection this year, so he wouldn’t have to resign just to run for vice president, KARE 11 reported. However, he would have to step down as governor before the January inauguration if he was elected alongside Harris, the report said.
Tim Walz’s political views
As governor, Walz worked to tackle issues around abortion, restricting gun access, the economy, legalizing recreational marijuana, providing legal refuge to transgender youths and more. His track record led to support among progressives as Harris considered her vice presidential pick, while also having a track record of being able to work across the aisle.
Abortion
In January 2023, Walz signed a bill codifying abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Walz signed an executive order shielding people seeking or providing abortions in his state from facing legal consequences in other states. He also vowed to reject requests to extradite anyone accused of committing acts related to reproductive health care that are not criminal offenses in Minnesota.
Crime
Violent crime dropped in Minnesota under Walz’s tenure, but he clashed with fellow Democrats after he put forth a budget that would expand the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The state’s equivalent of the FBI, the agency helps local departments investigate complex cases. Some Democrats, however, objected to expanding it and wanted more focus on crime reduction.
Walz also received pushback for his decision to call the National Guard on protesters who were demonstrating against police brutality. At the same time, Minnesota police demanded he remove a prosecutor from police abuse cases, citing her promise to go after police misconduct and take a restorative justice approach to the law.
Guns
Walz initially received support from the National Rifle Association as a Democrat who owned guns, hunted and served in the military. That support disappeared, however, as he took actions that expanded gun control laws in the state.
Walz has spoken in favor of an assault weapons ban and signed laws that expanded background checks and made it easier for authorities to remove guns from those considered a danger to themselves or others. He also increased penalties for straw purchasers, who buy a gun for someone that cannot legally own one.
Foreign policy
Walz has not spoken at length about foreign policy. He did condemn Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel but has also advocated for increased aid to Gaza.
He has also expressed support for Ukraine, an issue that has become more contentious as the country’s war with Russia has continued for over two years.
Immigration
Walz has shown support for offering a path to citizenship for those who crossed into the country illegally. He also reversed an earlier position on enhanced screening for refugees, objecting to claims that they threatened the culture of Minnesota.
Walz also signed a law making undocumented immigrants eligible for Minnesota driver’s licenses. He does not have a record on border security.
Economy
Walz’s economic record includes passing tax cuts for Minnesotans while maintaining a balanced budget in the state. He also has a record that includes investments in infrastructure and community college programs as well as supporting a transition to green energy. He has also advocated for paid family and medical leave.
Among his other accomplishments as governor, Walz also signed a $2.3 billion education budget into law, which provided “students free breakfast and lunch at school, created thousands of new pre-K seats, expanded access to mental health resources for students, and made significant investments to improve child literacy.”
Social Security
Walz objected to a measure that would have removed state taxes on Social Security, saying he wanted a threshold that would continue to tax those in the highest income brackets. He did advocate for a measure that would have eliminated taxes for 90% of the state’s Social Security recipients.
LGBTQ Issues
In April 2023, Walz made Minnesota a refuge for young people coming from other states for gender-affirming care. He also signed legislation making Minnesota a sanctuary for abortion patients from other states and banning so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth.
“Look, I don’t know how hard this concept is to understand,” Walz said. “When someone else is given basic rights, others don’t lose theirs. We’re not cutting a pie here. We’ve giving basic rights to every single Minnesotan.”
Walz signed the bills on a day when Republican legislators in Kansas enacted what may be the most sweeping anti-transgender bathroom law in the nation. A day earlier, Montana Republican leaders barred a transgender state lawmaker from the House floor after she rebuked colleagues who voted to ban gender-affirming care for children.
Legalizing marijuana
In May 2023, Walz signed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21 starting in August, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.
“This has been a long journey with a lot of folks involved,” Walz said at the time.
Walz has long been a supporter of legalizing recreational marijuana for adults. In 2021, the Democratic-controlled House passed a legalization bill with several Republicans voting yes, but the GOP-controlled Senate never gave it a vote.
Tim Walz’s political controversies
The Minnesota governor has been the target of conservative criticism regarding his progressive agenda, Politico reported.
“What a monster! Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn and women are making their own health care decisions,” Walz sarcastically responded to the criticism.
However, in 2022, Walz came under fire for a Minnesota agency’s inadequate oversight of a federal program that was meant to provide food to kids, and its failure to act on red flags that created the opportunities that led to the theft of $250 million in one of the country’s largest pandemic aid fraud cases.
Seventy people were charged in federal court for their alleged roles in a scheme prosecutors say centered on a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future. Five of the first seven defendants to stand trial were convicted.
The trial gained widespread attention after someone tried to bribe a juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash the night before the case went to the jury.
Republican legislative leaders said the report shows that the failure to stop the fraud lies with Walz’s administration, which said the state’s hands were tied by a 2021 court order to resume payments despite its concerns — a charge the judge disputed — and that the FBI asked the state to continue making payments while the investigation continued.
The Democratic governor also took a lot of heat from GOP critics for his delayed response to the civil unrest following George Floyd’s 2020 death, claiming Walz failed to get the Minnesota National Guard promptly deployed.
The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.