After Kamala Harris announced her presidential campaign, America held its breath, eagerly awaiting to hear who she would select as her running mate. Then, Tim Walz was chosen.
For his supporters in his home state of Minnesota, it was a moment of pride and triumph. For others, it begged the question: Who is Tim Walz? Here are six key things you need to know about Harris’s running mate ahead of the November election.
Walz is the current Governor of Minnesota.
Waltz has been serving as the 41st Governor of Minnesota. He was first elected in 2018 and led a successful reelection campaign in 2022.
He’s from a small town in rural Nebraska.
Walz gets small-town America. He was born in West Point, Nebraska, but he grew up in Valentine, Nebraska, which has a population of a little over 2,000 people. Walz largely embraces his rural upbringing and credits his background for his political values and beliefs.
He was a teacher for several years and started his career in China.
You read that right. Walz began his teaching career in 1989 after he accepted a teaching position in Guangdong, China. Although he was only there for a year, he still knows how to speak Mandarin. Upon returning to the U.S., he taught geography at Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minnesota. He was even the coach of the school’s football team. During his time as governor, he provided free meals at public schools.
Walz is a strong advocate for reproductive rights, which is a very personal topic to him.
You may be wondering how a man could have a personal connection to reproductive rights. Both his children, Hope and Gus Walz, were conceived through IVF and fertility treatments. This also inspired his daughter’s name, Hope. Walz notably also supports women’s right to abortion.
He expanded voting rights to formerly incarcerated residents in Minnesota.
In May 2023, Walz introduced a bill granting voting rights to about 55,000 formerly incarcerated Minnesota residents.
Walz is a strong supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights.
In March 2023, Walz signed an executive order to protect access to gender-affirming healthcare in the state of Minnesota. This includes health services such as medical, surgical, counseling, and referral services that support gender identity and expression. During his time at Mankato West High School, he helped students form the school’s first-ever Gay-Straight Alliance and served as their faculty advisor.
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