What to know about Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate
After weeks of speculation, Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing CNN. Walz beat out several contenders.
Walz brings political mastery, suburban-and-rural appeal and progressive patriotism to a competition where all three criteria are seen as helpful for Democrats to clinch a 2024 win against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.
President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 amid rising concerns about his age and endorsed Harris as his successor.
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Who was selected as vice president nominee?
Kamala Harris picked Walz as her vice presidential running mate.
Who is Tim Walz?
Walz is the governor of Minnesota.
Where is Tim Walz governor?
Walz is the governor of Minnesota. He became governor in 2019 after six terms in the House.
How old is Tim Walz?
Tim Walz is 60 years old.
Where is Tim Walz from?
Walz was born and raised in rural Nebraska by a public school administrator and a community activist.
What did Tim Walz teach?
Walz held several positions as a school teacher — first at a Native American reservation in South Dakota, then overseas in China, then back home in Nebraska and finally in Minnesota, where he and his family relocated in 1996.
Who is Tim Walz’s wife?
Walz is married to Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz, also a former educator, and has two children, Hope and Gus.
Is Tim Walz a veteran?
Yes. Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17 years old.
Is Tim Walz pro-union?
In naming Walz as her running mate, Harris selected a pro-union Democrat who can speak to the concerns of blue-collar workers in Midwestern states — and beyond.
Tim Walz political background
Walz decided to run for office in 2006, seeking to represent a staunchly Republican-held district in the southern part of the state.
His win against the six-term incumbent came as somewhat of a surprise to political observers, but Walz proved a popular candidate who styled himself as a plain-spoken moderate able to connect with the district’s mostly rural voters.
Walz’s ability to bridge the tricky divide between progressive policies and conservative values resonated with his constituents, who elected him to serve five additional terms in Congress. It’s also a talent the Harris campaign will seek to wield as it crisscrosses the nation in an effort to sway voters of all stripes – especially those with conservative leanings in swing states.
During his tenure, Walz sat on the House Agriculture Committee, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Armed Services Committee, and proved a solid supporter of key Democratic issues — voting, for example, to raise the federal minimum wage, protect abortion rights and advance the Affordable Care Act.
His affable personality and penchant for public service propelled Walz’s political rise from Congress to the Governor’s Mansion.
Walz entered the gubernatorial race in 2018 after then-Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton chose not to seek reelection, and he defeated his Republican challenger by a wide margin. He easily won re-election four years later, alongside Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe.
Walz raised $11.6 million in his 2022 reelection campaign and $5.3 million in his first gubernatorial campaign in 2018, campaign finance records show.
What is Tim Walz’s education background?
Walz holds a bachelor’s degree in social science education from Chadron State College in Nebraska and a master’s of science degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University Mankato.
When does Tim Walz’ term end?
Walz’s current term ends in 2026. If Harris and Walz win this November, the governor would have to resign from his current office and Flanagan would serve out the remainder of his term.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kamala Harris VP pick Tim Walz: What to know about the Minnesota governor
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