Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 Presidential Elections. CNN reported early Tuesday that Harris will soon make the official announcement, as reported several sources close to the process.
This announcement is particularly exciting due to Walz’s progressive credentials and his skill in critiquing Republicans. He has effectively targeted Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in TV interviews, even appearing on Fox News to make his case. Walz is also credited with inspiring the Democrats' “weird” attacks on Trump and the GOP, providing them with one of their most effective attack lines in years.
Walz's online presence has inspired his supporters to create impressive meme content about him.
Who Is Tim Walz?
As Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz was in office when George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police in May 2020. He enacted police reform legislation that banned "warrior" training, restricted the use of chokeholds by police, and introduced new de-escalation training, along with training on responding to individuals with autism and mental health issues. The bill also established an independent unit to investigate police-involved deaths and created a community relations advisory council.
Last year, Walz signed into law one of the most generous child tax credit plans in the country, which he stated could reduce child poverty in Minnesota by 33 percent. This was possible due to the Democratic trifecta, with the party controlling both the Minnesota House and Senate. This political landscape also enabled the passage of laws protecting abortion rights, providing free universal school meals, implementing paid family leave, and safeguarding the rights of gay and transgender individuals in the state.
Before becoming governor, Tim Walz served in Congress from 2007 to 2019. Several Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, have recently praised him.
“He was a great member of Congress. The people I know in Minnesota tell me he’s a great governor.… But more importantly, he’s a good guy,” Representative Jim McGovern said last week. “He’s down to earth, he’s the real deal, there’s nothing phony about him, and he calls ‘em as he sees ‘em, and he tells it like it is, and I appreciate the candor.”
Walz grew up in rural Nebraska, served in the National Guard for 24 years, and was deployed to Europe after 9/11. He received several commendations, including the Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals. With a bachelor’s degree from Chadron State College in Nebraska, he taught for a year in China and later became a public school teacher in Alliance, Nebraska, and then in Mankato, Minnesota, his wife Gwen’s hometown.
