Who is Tim Walz? What to know about Kamala Harris' VP pick.
It's Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Vice President Kamala Harris picked Walz as her vice presidential running mate on Tuesday, Reuters reported citing CNN, thrusting the outspoken Midwestern statesman into the national spotlight while adding a key ally to her fast-moving campaign for the presidency.
Once officially selected, the presumed Democratic presidential ticket plans to visit Philadelphia, western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, N.C., Savannah, Ga., Phoenix, and Los Vegas, according to the campaign.
When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Walz on Sunday if he received vetting materials from the Harris campaign, the governor wouldn’t comment but said that “being mentioned is certainly an honor.”
In addition to Walz, other Democrats Harris considered as potential running mates include Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Who is Tim Walz?
Tim Walz, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
Born in Nebraska, Walz joined the Army National Guard after graduating high school in 1981. He worked as a high school teacher and football coach. After retiring from the military in 2005, Walz represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District until he was inaugurated as governor in 2019.
Walz is also the co-chair of the Democratic National Convention’s rules committee, which means he could be involved in nomination processes ahead of August’s convention.
What politics does Tim Walz support?
In his 2024 State of the State address, Governor Walz emphasized reproductive rights, citing his family’s fertility struggles and the use of IVF. Governor Walz also highlighted the signing of the Protection of Reproductive Options (PRO) Act and praised Minnesota’s high voter turnout and election law reform.
Reproductive rights are not the only hot-button national issue Walz has embraced. He has also publicly spoken against book bans and worked to increase funding for childcare across Minnesota, which now has the nation’s most significant child tax credit. Other legislation passed under Walz includes the legalization of cannabis and the expansion of background checks for purchasing firearms.
What else is Tim Walz known for?
Walz is gaining traction due to his direct and candid nature. Walz may have inadvertently started the Democrats’ viral labeling of conservative opponents, particularly the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, as “weird.”
“These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said in an interview on MSNBC. “They wanna take books away, they wanna be in your exam room, that’s what it comes down to and don’t, you know, get sugar-coating this, these are weird ideas.”
Walz’s criticisms of Vance didn’t stop there, stating in a scathing post on social media that the Republican vice presidential candidate from Ohio doesn’t understand what makes small-town America tick.
“Small towns don’t work because everyone is closed-minded and prejudiced. They work because people mind their own damn business, said Walz. “JD Vance seems to have a real problem minding his.”
Cy Neff reports on Wyoming politics for Paste BN. You can reach him at cneff@usatoday.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CyNeffNews
