Tim Walz to campaign in Detroit with Kamala Harris: What to know about Minnesota governor
Tanya WildtVice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate — and Michiganders will be able to see him in his new role in person this week.
Harris and Walz will head to metro Detroit on Wednesday and make a campaign stop elsewhere in Michigan on Thursday as part of a series of campaign stops in key swing states this week, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Before he makes his first campaign visit to the Great Lakes State, here's what you need to know about Walz.
Who is Tim Walz?
Tim Walz, 60, is a military veteran, former public school teacher and six-term congressman who is serving the sixth year of his eight-year stint as governor of Minnesota, according to USA TODAY.
Walz, a lifelong Midwesterer, was born and raised in rural Nebraska. He enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17, according to the Harris' campaign website.
Tim Walz's military service and career
Walz spent 24 years serving his country while holding down a series of 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, according to USA TODAY. Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005.
Walz won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 and was relected for five more terms, serving Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, according to the State of Minnesota website.
More:Why Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as her running mate
In 2018 Walz entered the gubernatorial race after then-Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton chose not to seek reelection, defeating his Republican challenger by a wide margin, according to USA TODAY. He won re-election four years later, alongside Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe.
Walz gained national exposure when he was named co-chair of the president’s Council of Governors in 2021, according to USA TODAY. Two years later, he was elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association in 2023.
As governor, Walz also signed into law protections for abortion access and legalizing marijuana, according to USA TODAY. Republicans quickly pounced on Walz's liberal record as governor and his response to the protests in Minneapolis after the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
More:Tim Walz vs. JD Vance: How Kamala Harris, Donald Trump's VP picks match up
Who are Tim Walz's wife and kids?
Walz is married to Gwen Whipple, who taught at the same school, according to the State of Minnesota website. They moved to Mankato in 1996, where they worked at Mankato West High School. Walz taught social studies and helped coach the football team that won the school's first state championship.
The Walz’s have two children together: Hope and Gus.
Walz lost a bet to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Walz is familiar with some of Michigan's best assets. He came out on the losing end of a March Madness bet with Whitmer in 2019 and had to post a photo wearing a Michigan State shirt while holding a bottle of Vernors after the Michigan State men's basketball team defeated Minnesota, 70-50, in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Harriz-Walz rally schedule this week
Harris and Walz will travel to the following stops for campaign events this week:
- Tuesday: Philadelphia.
- Wednesday: Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
- Wednesday night: Detroit.
- Thursday: Michigan.
- Thursday night: Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Friday: Savannah, Georgia.
- Friday night: Phoenix.
- Saturday: Las Vegas.
Free Press reporter Arpan Lobo and USA TODAY reporter Eric Lagatta contributed to this report.
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