- Tim Walz’s viral comment boosts VP consideration
- Walz’s broad appeal spans diverse political spectrum
- Walz’s policies contrast sharply with GOP views
With one viral cable TV comment – ‘these guys are just crazy’ – Tim Walz jumped into the hunt for Kamala Harris’ running mate position.
The 60-year-old offers a folksy, plainspoken, and sharp-tongued approach to confronting the Republican opposition.
He also has an impressive record, having worked as a public school teacher, football coach, and member of the National Guard before entering politics.
His political experience, representing a Republican-leaning district in Congress and then enacting left-wing programs as Minnesota’s governor, may have broad appeal in an era when American politics is so polarised.
Mr Walz, a native of rural Nebraska, spent his summers farming and hunting before enlisting in the Army National Guard at the age of 17. He would serve in the voluntary army for 24 years.
His father, a public school administrator, encouraged him to join the military before dying of lung disease when Mr Walz was 19.
The Minnesota governor has spoken about how Social Security survivor benefits supported his mother and how the GI Bill funded his undergraduate degree.
With teaching degrees, Mr Walz accepted a one-year teaching position in China at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
He later honeymooned in the nation with his wife, Gwen Whipple, and sponsored summer educational visits to China for American students.
After returning to Nebraska, Mr Walz worked as a teacher and American football coach until his wife, another teacher at the school, enticed him back to her homeland, Minnesota. They currently have two children.
As a coach at Mankato West High School, Mr Walz was instrumental in developing an American football program that led the school to its first state championship.
He also received praise for agreeing to serve as the faculty adviser for the school’s gay-straight alliance during a time when homosexuality was often frowned upon.
He initially ran for office in a predominantly agricultural district in southern Minnesota that is primarily rural and Republican-leaning.
However, Mr Walz campaigned as a centrist who cared about public service and veterans’ issues, resulting in an upset election.
Over his 12 years in Congress, it wasn’t easy to pin down his views.
He voted in favour of the Affordable Care Act, co-sponsored labor-friendly legislation, including a bill to raise the minimum wage, and supported an unsuccessful cap-and-trade campaign to reduce carbon emissions.
But he also found common ground with the Republicans.
He voted to continue funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, advocated for stricter vetting of refugees entering the United States, and attempted to stop Obama’s bailout of banks and automakers following the 2008 financial crisis.
After being backed by the pro-gun National Rifle Association (NRA), which donated to his campaign, he spoke out in favour of an assault weapons ban following the Parkland school shooting and lost their support.
Mr Walz won the 2018 Minnesota governor’s contest by more than 11 points. Still, his Covid epidemic and the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer overshadowed his first term.
Republicans chastised Mr Walz for being sluggish to send the National Guard, even as some rallies turned violent.
However, the governor was re-elected, and his second term has witnessed a busy period. Democrats control the state assembly by a single seat.
Democrats have protected abortion rights, implemented paid family and sick leave, toughened gun restrictions, provided universal free school lunches, and invested in affordable housing.
Former President Barack Obama noticed the frantic activity and remarked, “If you need a reminder that elections have consequences, check out what’s happening in Minnesota.
Although Mr Walz is relatively unknown on the national stage, he has quickly gained attention in recent weeks for his scathing criticism of Republicans.
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“These are weird people on the other side,” he recently told MSNBC, a characterisation that has been frequently repeated. “They want to outlaw literature. “They want to be in your [doctor’s] examination room.”
However, Republicans have been quick to label his actions in Minnesota as too radical for average Americans.
Tom Emmer, the third-highest ranking Republican in the US House of Representatives, accused Mr Walz of attempting to “transform Minnesota into Kamala Harris’ home state of California.
Allies, including labour groups, believe Mr Walz can widen Ms Harris’ appeal among rural and working-class voters.
Angie Craig, a House Democrat running for re-election, described Mr Walz as “a battle-tested leader”.
She described him as “a proven winner who has never lost an election across many tough races” and said that he would be the ideal addition to the Harris ticket.
