Gov. Tim Walz's potential move to Washington: Minnesota reacts to VP nomination
ST. CLOUD — Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday morning that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will join her ticket this November. As Walz looks toward a possible future in Washington D.C., Minnesotans are not shy of speaking about their governor.
“I think it would be great, but I'm kind of selfish. I don't like the idea of sharing him,” Emily Gorman, a special education teacher in St. Cloud, said. “He's done a lot of good stuff for Minnesota, but I know if he gets in, he'd do a lot of good stuff there too.”
Gorman believes that Walz’s background as a teacher will serve him well in the nation’s capital, saying his presence will bring a “realistic approach to the average American,” referencing his laid-back nature, occasionally wearing T-shirts to press conferences and campaign events. This sentiment is echoed by Minnesotans like St. Cloud resident Steven Ludwig, who appreciates Walz for his straightforward nature.
“He's straightforward, which I suppose grates on some people once in a while, but I really appreciate it and the way he presents himself and his ideas,” Ludwig said. “He's somebody with legislative experience, administrative experience, and military experience, besides being a teacher.”
Walz’s leadership approach is what many in Minnesota’s Democratic party attribute to his upward political trajectory. They praise Walz for fostering a collaborative atmosphere within the state legislature and emphasizing the importance of civic engagement among Minnesota’s youth.
“He’s been a staunch supporter of everything that I tried to accomplish, and one of those was requiring civics to graduate,” said Minnesota Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, DFL-Eden Prairie. “We need to make sure our youth become excited about the political process, and I want our young people to be as excited to vote as they are to get their driver's license.”
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However, not every Minnesotan is a fan of Walz. U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., alleged that bringing Walz onto the Harris ticket would be detrimental, calling him an “empty suit.”
“He embodies the same disastrous economic, open-borders and soft-on-crime policies Harris has inflicted on our country the last four years,” Emmer wrote on X. “Walz is an empty suit who has worked to turn Minnesota into Harris’ home state of California, and solidifies this ticket’s full embrace of a radical, America-last agenda.”
The Republican Party of Minnesota cites Walz’s response to the 2020 George Floyd protests among their chief complaints. They allege that Walz “let Minneapolis burn for three days” before calling in the National Guard.
If Walz wins the vice presidency, it would pave the way for Minnesota to welcome the nation’s first Native American governor, with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan taking the reins. Flanagan spoke in support of Harris alongside Walz at the state’s Harris for President campaign kickoff event on July 27. At the event, Minnesota’s Democratic leaders spoke in favor of a Harris ticket, citing better communication with local agencies during her vice presidency compared to the Trump administration.
When Harris visited St. Cloud in February 2023, she told meeting attendees that she applauded Walz for his collaborative, supportive efforts, especially in relation to environmental policy, as she was celebrating electric city buses.
Corey Schmidt covers local government for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.