Tim Walz: Road to becoming Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate
MIINNEAPOLIS (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - After serving as Minnesota's top official through the turbulence of a global pandemic and civil unrest, among other recent tribulations, many Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, believe Governor Tim Walz has shown he has what it takes to join in and win the bid for the White House this November.
Election Night 2022. Governor Tim Walz could not contain his exuberance over winning a second term, moving past turbulent times of a global pandemic and civil unrest.
Walz grew up in a small town in northern Nebraska, where, at the age of 17, he joined the Army National Guard.
He served in the Guard 24 years, all while embarking on a teaching career that brought him to Minnesota in 1996, where he met his future wife and fellow teacher Gwen.
He was teaching geography and coaching football at Mankato West in 2006 when he ran for Congress in southern Minnesota's Republican-leaning first district. He unseated longtime incumbent Gil Guttknecht, and went on to spend 12 years in Congress.
In 2018, Walz launched his bid for governor on the theme of "One Minnesota" and made history by picking State Representative Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation, as his running mate. He defeated Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson that November.
The governor, First Lady Gwen Walz and their children, Gus and Hope, moved to Saint Paul, where Walz set about leading the charge for historic spending on schools, child care, and housing.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he aggressively pursued testing and vaccines, but took heat from republicans for his stay-at-home orders, and closing close schools and businesses.
Walz won re-election in 2022, defeating Dr. Scott Jensen, and worked with a DFL-controlled legislature to sign a host of bills, strengthening abortion rights, tightening gun control, banning conversion therapy, restoring voting rights to felons, legalizing cannabis, and providing universal free school meals, to name a few.
Now, two years later, Walz was chosen by Vice President Harris as her running mate as he was one of the three finalists on Harris' shortlist. The other two finalists include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Harris and Walz will officially appear together at a rally in Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.
