Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has burst onto the political scene in recent months, but now he’ll be under an even more intense microscope after being chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket.
Walz also served in the House of Representatives for more than a decade and had a decades-long military career in the Army National Guard, but many voters are still getting to know Minnesota’s chief executive.
Born in Nebraska, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard out of high school. He served in the Guard for more than two decades before retiring his position in 2005.
During that time, Walz completed college and became a high school teacher. He first gained fame in the state after leading Mankato West to their first-ever state championship in football, according to his official campaign biography.
After retiring from the National Guard, Walz decided to run for Congress, and was elected to the House in 2006 in a district that had typically voted for Republicans. He was reelected in four successive elections, and according to NPR was the highest-ranking retired enlisted solider to ever serve in Congress.
Walz typically supported key progressive values in Congress, including opposing continued increases of troop levels in Iraq and in favor of the Affordable Care Act. He also occasionally would push back on the Obama administration, at one point joining 17 Democrats who voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in criminal contempt of Congress after he declined to turn over documents related to the Fast and Furious scandal.
After serving five terms in Congress, Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018, and quickly went about establishing himself as a progressive liberal with a slew of legislation to back up that classification.
Among the pieces of legislation highlighted on his official biography are a bill to provide free college tuition to students whose family incomes are under $80,000, expanding background checks on all weapons purchases, and providing free meals to all Minnesota school students.
He also has a track record of backing labor unions and workers, including expanding protections for workers in Amazon warehouses and banning non-compete agreements, according to his official website.
In recent weeks, Walz has stepped up his attacks on former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance. His most famed contribution to the current political climate was the introduction of the adjective “weird,” which he used during an MSNBC interview to describe Republican politicians who he said misrepresented small-town values.
“We do not like what has happened where we can’t even go to Thanksgiving dinner with our uncle because you end in some weird fight that is unnecessary,” he said. “It’s true. These guys are just weird.”
The “weird” adjective has become a source of heated debate, with Republicans and Democrats slinging the term at one another as it became a viral hit on multiple social media platforms.
Now, Walz will take his folksy approach directly to voters on a massive battleground state tour with Harris, including stops in Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada. He'll also address voters on a national stage in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention later this month, with a presumed Wednesday speaking slot at the event.
