Tim Walz, the Midwestern governor running to be America's next vice president

Vice President Kamala Harris has found a veep of her own, as she has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) to be her vice presidential running mate in the 2024 election. The selection of Walz, which comes only a day after Harris officially became the Democratic Party's nominee, caps off a frenzied stretch of speculation about who could best help her secure the necessary battleground states to win the election. 

Walz, who has been the governor of Minnesota since 2019, brings an unconventional skill set to the campaign trail; he is the first person on a Democratic presidential ticket since Jimmy Carter in 1980 not to have attended law school, and had a background in education before entering politics. But Walz, a military veteran and former congressman, has enjoyed relatively high approval ratings in the Gopher State since taking office, and now he will attempt to translate this likeability to the national stage.  

Walz's beginnings 

Walz, 60, was born in the small town of West Point, Nebraska, and is the son of a public school administrator. After high school, Walz enlisted in the National Guard, then "attended Chadron State College and graduated with a social science degree in 1989," according to his official governor's biography. He then "spent a year teaching abroad before returning home to serve full time in the Army National Guard and eventually accepting a high school teaching and coaching position." He married his wife Gwen in 1994 and the couple has two children. 

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Following a career as a social studies teacher and high school football coach, Walz entered politics, and "won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 and was re-elected for another five terms serving Minnesota's 1st Congressional District in Southern Minnesota," his biography said. His 2006 election was notable in that he defeated a six-term GOP incumbent. Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018, defeating a Republican challenger, and was reelected in 2022. 

Walz's governorship and national prominence

Walz's "accomplishments from his time as governor include providing universal free school meals for students, protecting reproductive freedom, strengthening voting rights, laying the groundwork to get Minnesota to 100% clean electricity by 2040, cutting taxes for the middle class and expanding paid leave for Minnesota workers," said his biography. His signing of the 2023 law that provided free school breakfast and lunch to Minnesota students helped Walz gain national prominence and made him a rising star in the Democratic Party. 

Amid speculation on Harris' running mate, Walz "was seen as a dark horse early on but got a boost from social media and has created excitement after a series of appearances on national networks, including Fox News," said KMSP-TV Minneapolis. He additionally "drew support from Democrats while making headlines and going viral for his comments, including starting the Harris campaign's 'weird' attack line" against Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance. This marks a significant shift for the governor, as while he is a "well-respected member of the party and head of the Democratic Governors Association, he had little national profile until recently," said The Atlantic, and was less well-known than several other candidates who were reportedly on Harris' shortlist. 

Republicans have "slammed [Walz's] policies as big-government liberalism and accused Mr. Walz of taking a hard left turn" since his time in Congress, said The New York Times. But Harris is standing by her new running mate. Something that "stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep," Harris said in an Instagram post announcing her choice. But "what impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope," the vice president said, adding that she looks "forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values."