By Troy Cofie
On Aug. 6, Vice President Kamala Harris picked Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota to be her running mate for the 2024 campaign for president. Walz has gained popularity for criticizing Republicans for being “weird” for their positions on book bans, abortion and many other issues. Who exactly is this plain-spoken and folksy, Midwestern politician who’s now Harris’ pick for potential vice president?
Walz was born and raised in a small town in Nebraska and enlisted in the Army National Guard after high school, serving for 24 years. During that time, Walz attended Chadron State College in Nebraska, earning a social science degree in 1989. He started his teaching career as a teacher in Guangdong, China for one year and then became a social studies teacher and football coach in his home state. While teaching, he met his wife, Gwen Whipple, and the two got married in 1994 and moved to Mankato, Minnesota. There he taught at Mankato West High School and helped their football team win their first state championship. He also served as an advisor to the Gay-Straight Alliance club when it first started in Mankato West High School and was an ardent supporter of inclusivity for LGBTQ+ students. In 2005, Walz retired from the Army National Guard to focus on running for a seat in the House of Representatives. He won the seat and was elected to the House in 2006, winning five terms.
In the House, Walz was a well-known veteran advocate in the House Committee of Veteran Affairs by emphasizing issues of mental health, suicide and pain management for veterans, including support for research for medical cannabis veterans struggling with PTSD and chronic pain through funding. Walz was considered one of the most bipartisan politicians in Congress, with more than half of his bills having co-sponsors between 2015 and 2017.
In 2018, Walz decided to run for Governor of Minnesota and won the election, as well as re-election in 2022. During his tenure, Tim Walz passed the most laws and policies in recent Minnesotan history. Some of the biggest accomplishments under Walz’s belt are legalizing cannabis and codifying abortion rights into state law. The Walz administration also increased funding for public education, infrastructure, human services and the environment. He also gave undocumented immigrants the right to a driver’s license, passed a paid leave program, and passed stricter gun laws. Walz did increase taxes on high-income earners while giving tax credits that were established for low-income families. Walz also raised the gas tax by indexing it to inflation and created a 50-cent fee on deliveries over $100. Lastly, Walz passed legislation that increased sales tax by 0.25% in metro areas to fund rent vouchers and housing aid to help make housing affordable.
Walz has a slew of accomplishments, progressive to specific, as a politician who can add much flair to Harris’ campaign and who is trying to focus on a message with a vision for the future. The Harris campaign has abandoned Joe Biden’s core message of beating Trump because he’s a threat to democracy, focusing on Trump’s actions during the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 by rioters. Instead, her recent campaign ads and speeches had focused on a form of positive freedom; where people are free from societal limitations like poverty or rampant gun violence. Harris is trying not to focus on Trump’s character alone but also on building a better future for all Americans. It gives hope to many Americans who feel insecure and unsure about an unpredictable future. With Tim Walz as her running mate, Harris’ message of hope and freedom with a vision for the future is much more reassuring and authentic.
Tim Walz is a great choice because of his relatability and someone who cares about ordinary people. Even though Republicans criticize Walz’s policies in Minnesota and try to paint him as “extreme” for progressive ideas, I highly doubt that it’ll work. Paid leave, something Walz passed as Governor of Minnesota, has an 84% approval rating across battleground states, according to a report done by Vox in 2021. Furthermore, 74% of Republicans support paid leave programs. With Roe v. Wade being nullified by the Supreme Court, abortion has become a top priority for many women across the country and Republicans seem to be okay banning abortion in states they control. It’s also no surprise that labor unions like the UAW and AFT were quick to support Tim Walz for the VP role. Progressive policies and stances are popular among ordinary people; they want to see a change in society. A change where everyone can benefit and not the few.
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