Tim Walz

Timothy James Walz is the governor of Minnesota, a former U.S. House representative, and Kamala Harris’s running mate in her bid to defeat Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. 

Walz took an unorthodox path into politics. Born in 1964, Walz enlisted in the National Guard at the age of 17 — serving for 24 years before retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant. Before running for Congress, Walz worked as a high school teacher and coach. 

In 2006 he beat six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht and secured himself a seat as the representative for Minnesota’s first district. He would hold that position for six terms before running for governor in 2018. 

As governor, Walz passed a massive package of progressive reforms under Minnesota’s 93rd Legislature, with Democrats narrowly controlling both chambers. He signed legislation codifying the right to abortion, free school meals, child tax credits, paid leave, massive infrastructure packages, and gun control in Minnesota. 

Harris announced in August that Walz would be her running mate on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket. Amid Harris’s surprise ascent to the head of ticket, Walz gained viral fame for calling Republicans “weird,” and his progressive economic message and successful record in Minnesota is expected to feature heavily in the Harris/Walz campaign.