Harris' VP pick Tim Walz outspoken about supporting small towns
On Aug. 2, Vice President Kamala Harris was officially decided as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee − making U.S. history as the first Black woman and first Asian American from a major party to win that designation.
Just days later on Aug. 6, Harris announced her VP pick as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Who is Walz? Where is he from? And what does he stand for? The Coloradoan compiled answers to all of those questions below.
More: What has Kamala Harris accomplished as vice president? Here's a quick look.
Who is Tim Walz?
Walz is 60 years old, born on April 6, 1964, and is originally from Nebraska, according to previous coverage by Paste BN. He is a veteran of the Army National Guard, which he joined after graduating high school in 1981. He worked as a high school teacher and football coach, and after retiring from the military in 2005, Walz represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District until he was inaugurated as governor in 2019.
Walz is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
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What politics does Tim Walz support?
According to previous coverage by Paste BN, in his 2024 State of the State address, Walz emphasized reproductive rights, citing his own family’s fertility struggles and the use of IVF. He also highlighted the signing of the Protection of Reproductive Options (PRO) Act and praised Minnesota’s high voter turnout and election law reform.
Walz 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 although as a hunter Walz supports the right to own a firearm, he also legalized the expansion of background checks for purchasing firearms, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Walz outspoken about his small-town support
Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, and grew up in Valentine, Nebraska. In an interview with MSNBC on July 23, Walz clarified just how small his hometown was.
"My town had 400 people in it, 24 kids in my graduating class, 12 were cousins," Walz said.
When asked about rural towns and Republican policies, Walz said that the Republican policies are what destroyed rural America.
"They talk about private schools. Where in the heck are you going to find a private school in a town of 400? Those are public schools, those are great teachers that are out there making a difference and gave us an opportunity to succeed," Walz said.
Walz went on to show support for his running mate and said that Harris knows bringing people together around shared values such as strong public schools, strong labor unions that create the middle class, and health care that's affordable and accessible, are all things that matter to rural Americans.
"I think this is going back to the bread and butter of getting away from this division we do not like what has happened where we can't even go to Thanksgiving dinner with our uncle because you end up in some weird fight that is unnecessary."
Paste BN reporters Cy Neff, Maya Marchel Hoff, Olivia Munson, and Margie Cullen contributed to this report.