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Tim Walz becomes Kamala Harris' running mate -

Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago.

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Heightened profile -

As the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in the 2024 United States presidential election, Tim Walz's political profile has suddenly ballooned.

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Who is Tim Walz? -

Walz has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. He now stands to become the 50th vice president of the United States should Harris win the White House in November. But who exactly is Tim Walz?

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Early life -

Timothy James Walz was born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska, but grew up in Butte, Nebraska. Walz graduated from Butte High School in 1982. Later, in 1989, he earned a bachelor of science degree in social science education at Chadron State College.

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Military man and educator -

At age 17 Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard, but after graduating from Chadron had spent a year teaching in China. After returning to the United States, he took a job teaching and coaching in Alliance, in western Nebraska. But he remained in the National Guard.

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Influence of parents -

Walz has cited his parents with instilling in him the value of public service, and a sense of generosity towards friends and neighbors. It was his father James (pictured) who encouraged his son to join the Army National Guard. Walz senior, who was also an educator, died in 1984.

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Political epiphany -

Tim Walz's burgeoning interest in politics took a practical turn in 2004 when he volunteered for John Kerry's presidential campaign. This led to him in 2005 filing to run for the US House of Representatives from Minnesota's 1st congressional district.

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Campaign for Congress -

The following year he faced six-term incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht. During his campaign, Walz espoused the values of education and presented himself as an enthusiastic advocate for veterans.

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Election victory -

In 2006, in one of the biggest House upsets of the year, Tim Walz was elected to Congress. Having served for 24 years in the National Guard before retiring in 2001, former Command Sergeant Major Walz now regarded politics as his full-time vocation.

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Man on a mission -

Given his military background, Walz was quickly appointed to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. His rural upbringing also saw him join the Agriculture Committee.

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A passionate educator -

Congressman Walz's passion for education was evident right from the beginning of his tenure. He's pictured here at Jumpstart's Read for the Record at Capitol Hill. The initiative is the world's largest shared reading experience, celebrating early literacy and supporting children's early language and social-emotional development.

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Reelection and further success -

In 2008, Walz was reelected with 62% of the vote, becoming only the second non-Republican to win a second full term in Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Walz, in fact, was reelected to the House five times before being elected governor of Minnesota in 2018.

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Gun-control advocate -

Walz was once a vocal supporter of gun rights and even earned an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA). During his campaign for governor though, he denounced the NRA and is today a gun-control advocate.

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Countryside credentials -

Always keen to promote his countryside credentials, Walz, as candidate for governor, made a point of meeting members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party to reaffirm his commitment to protect farmers' rights. He's pictured here with his wife Gwen, son Gus, and daughter Hope.

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Sharpshooter -

Though he abandoned his support for the NRA, Walz nevertheless is a keen hunter. In one exchange on the 'Anderson Cooper 360°' show, he appeared to challenge his opponent JD Vance's shooting skills when he said: "I guarantee you he can't shoot pheasants like I can."

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Governor of Minnesota -

As governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz continued to voice his support for veterans' rights, eventually being named the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

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Controversy -

When violence erupted in Minneapolis in May 2020 after police killed George Floyd, Republican lawmakers later criticized Walz's administration for not intervening quickly enough to prevent looting and arson. President Donald Trump, however, agreed on the way Walz had handled the crisis. The governor responded by saying that "... our front line folks responded in a noble and heroic manner."

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Conforming to the rules -

On July 23, 2020, Governor Walz was pictured on the front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune wearing a mask as the the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The image was used to announce a statewide requirement of the use of masks.

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Reproductive Freedom Defense Act -

In April 2023, Governor Walz signed into law the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act. Seeking to safeguard patients, providers, and visitors, the Act included a bill to ban conversion therapy for minors and vulnerable adults, and two bills that would make Minnesota a refuge for people traveling to the state for abortion and gender affirming care.

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House File 100 -

The following month, Walz signed into law House File 100 to legalize recreational cannabis in Minnesota, which went into effect on August 1, 2023, making Minnesota the 23rd state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.

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Speaking for rural communities -

Governor Walz was present when President Joe Biden arrived in Minnesota in November 2023 to kick off his Rural Investment Tour, a White House initiative to tout investments in rural communities as an administrative priority.

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Family life -

Tim Walz married his wife, Gwen, in 1994. The couple have two children, daughter Hope, pictured here with her parents during a football game, and a son, Gus.

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Overcoming obstacles -

Gus has a nonverbal learning disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and an anxiety disorder. Gus is seen here with Scout, a Labrador Retriever mix the family adopted after Walz promised his son a dog if he won the governorship.

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Speaking out -

In an interview with Glamour, Gwen Walz admitted that she and her husband went through intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatments to conceive their daughter, Hope.

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"That’s my dad!" -

In a moment that went viral, Gus was caught on camera sobbing as his father was introduced by Kamala Harris as the the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president and shouted, "That’s my dad!"

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A family occasion -

Later the Walz family took to the DNC stage to rapturous applause, all of them waving in front of a sea of placards reading "COACH WALZ."

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"Coach Walz" -

The Democratic nominee for vice president is affectionately called "Coach Walz" because he was known as such during his time teaching and coaching at Mankato West High School in Minnesota.

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A winning team -

There, Tim Waltz helped coach the Mankato West football team that won the school's first state championship. During the DNC, former members of the football team took to the stage to pay homage to their old coach.

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Humbled and honored -

It remains to be seen whether Tim Walz will follow Kamala Harris into the White House in 2025. Right now, a clearly humbled Walz is absorbing the reality of becoming the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president. 

Sources: (Politico) (The Hill) (CNN) (Minnesota House of Representatives)

See also: Looking back at the life and presidency of Joe Biden

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