Kamala Harris Picks Gov. Tim Walz Of MN As Running Mate

ST. PAUL, MN — Vice President Kamala Harris chose Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate Tuesday, adding a folksy, Midwestern governor with a liberal record to her presidential ticket.

"I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Governor Tim Walz to be my running mate," Harris announced.

"One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It's personal. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election."

Harris tapped Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, hoping that Walz could help her campaign connect with small-town and rural voters, particularly in the Midwest.

Walz, a native Nebraskan, joined the Army National Guard at 18. He later became a public school teacher and state championship-winning football coach in Minnesota.

Walz was a virtual unknown on the national stage until last month when speculation about him becoming Harris' running mate grew. He won the hearts of Democrats and progressive activists with his ability to communicate a progressive agenda in a folksy, Midwestern manner.

Before he was chosen as running mate, the Harris campaign adopted Walz's "Republicans are weird" slogan.

Democrats also believe Walz is an especially good match against fellow Midwesterner J.D. Vance of Ohio, who is running alongside Donald Trump. "People like J.D. Vance know nothing about small-town America," Walz said in an MSNBC interview.

Walz grew up in Chadron, Nebraska, and graduated from Chadron State College with a degree in social studies. Chadron is a town of about 5,000 people.

Walz joined the National Guard at age 18. After 24 years, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment in 2005.

Walz also taught social studies for 20 years, including at Mankato West High School in Minnesota. He also coached the Scarlets' football team during that time, leading them to their first-ever state championship.

Before that, he taught high school in Nebraska and on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. While teaching, Walz met his wife, Gwen Whipple.

Walz tries his hand at politics

Walz first decided to run for public office in 2006, and he went on to beat Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht in Minnesota's 1st congressional district. The rural district was a Republican stronghold.

Walz remained in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2019, serving five terms. When he left Congress to run for governor of Minnesota, the district returned to Republican control.

Walz's progressive record as governor of Minnesota

Democrats have achieved unprecedented political success in Minnesota since Tim Walz became governor. In 2022, state Democrats achieved the government "trifecta" by winning the governor's office, state senate, and state House of Representatives.

The trifecta allowed Democrats to implement a progressive legislative agenda with little political opposition from Republicans.

While elected to the governor's office as a moderate, Walz has overseen the passage of some of the most progressive state laws in the nation. Under his term, Minnesota:

• Ended all restrictions and laws surrounding abortion, made Minnesota an abortion sanctuary, and ended state funding for crisis pregnancy centers.
• Began providing free lunch to all students from PreK through high school.
• Became a "trans refuge" and outlawed restrictions on surgeries related to gender dysphoria.

Potential drawbacks as VP

In addition to the upsides, Walz presents plenty of political liabilities for Harris, too. He was governor of Minnesota when rioters burned and looted Minneapolis and St. Paul businesses in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

Additionally, Walz's administration was blamed for allowing $250 million in COVID-era fraud to happen under their watch.

Ultimately, the Harris campaign believes that Walz's potential upside outweighs the risks he presents to a national campaign against the former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated when Tim Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard.