Kamala Harris’ unexpected choice: Tim Walz, a former high school teacher who ‘tells it like it is’

A couple of weeks ago, no one had any bets on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in the veepstakes. In fact, outside his state, he was a complete unknown, despite a 12-year track record in U.S. Congress. But a televised appearance, a comment on the fly that became a viral meme and almost a campaign slogan, catapulted this 60-year-old former high school teacher to the top of the Democratic radar, and finally saw him picked as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the race for the White House.

Walz had no idea of the turn his life was about to take when, two weeks ago, after Joe Biden announced he was not seeking re-election and passed the baton to Vice President Harris, he made a comment about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance: “It’s true. These guys are just weird.”

The epithet stuck. It went viral on social media, and it was repeated by Democratic supporters, the party hierarchy, and Harris’ own advisers. The governor of Minnesota, with the appearance of a joker-grandfather — he looks older than his age; “[I] supervised the lunchroom for 20 years. You do not leave that job with a full head of hair,” he joked about his baldness — became a media-savvy political star and an unbeatable spokesperson for the vice president’s campaign. His attitude captures the shift that the Harris campaign wants to give to the Democratic message: less focus on the dangers of Trump returning to the White House and more on what they promise to improve and change if they win the November elections.

His blunt, humorous way of defending Democratic achievements and aspirations is not his only strength, nor is it a talent exclusive to him. Other vice presidential hopefuls, such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are considered excellent public speakers.

Walz’s unique contribution is that he has a different background than other mainstream politicians. Unlike Shapiro or Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly — another candidate in the mix — he doesn’t come from a state that Democrats have to fight for, since Minnesota typically leans Democratic. But he is a veteran of the National Guard, and during his time on Capitol Hill, he was the highest-ranking military member in the U.S. Congress, eventually heading the Veterans Affairs Committee, earning him great respect in the Pentagon and among military hawks on both sides of the political spectrum.

He also has roots in the American Midwest that connect him to ordinary citizens, and has a long history of supporting progressive causes, first in the House and then as governor. He is a radically different figure from his vice-presidential rival, Republican JD Vance. One of the few things they have in common is their favorite brand of drink, a diet soda.

It is no coincidence that his support has come mainly from groups and representatives of the left wing of the party. Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, an idol of the progressive sector, told Minnesota public radio last weekend: “I hope very much that the Vice President selects a running mate who will speak up and take on powerful corporate interests, and I think Tim Walz is somebody who could do that.”

Unions also support him as a defender of workers’ rights. Shawn Fain, the president of one of the largest unions in the U.S., the UAW, told CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday that Walz and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear were the two VP hopefuls “who we believe would be best for labor and for working class people”

Former colleagues on Capitol Hill have also spoken out in his favor. “The people I know in Minnesota tell me he’s a great governor. … But more importantly, he’s a good guy. He’s down to earth, he’s the real deal, there’s nothing phony about him, and he calls ‘em as he sees ‘em, and he tells it like it is, and I appreciate the candor,” Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee, told The Hill. Even former House speaker and Democratic power broker Nancy Pelosi seems to be on his side. When asked about the vice presidential candidates, a Pelosi spokesperson said that she “is always especially fond of former House colleagues.”

Walz got a late start in politics. Born and raised in a small town in Nebraska, he earned a science degree before embarking on a career in teaching. He got his start as a teacher giving English classes in China in 1989, the year of the Tiananmen massacre: there he learned Mandarin, a language he can still converse in.

Upon his return to the United States, he first taught in Nebraska, where he met his wife, Gwen, who was also a teacher at the school. She said that she was initially annoyed by Walz’ loud voice, which she could hear from her classroom. The two have two children, Hope and Gus, which were conceived through IVF and fertility treatments. “There’s a reason we named her Hope,” Walz said.

The two married in 1994 and moved two years later to Gwen’s home state of Minnesota to teach at Mankato West High School. There he became a popular teacher, famous for pushing students who refused to listen to him until they became interested in his geography classes. He became coach of the high school football team and led it to a state championship. He sponsored the first gay-straight alliance.

Walz made his political debut in 2006, when he ran for Congress in a district that had previously been staunchly Republican, and scored a surprise win. He kept his seat, winning elections every two years, until 2018, when he ran for governor. He won again and was re-elected in 2022. Today he is chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

Under his leadership, and supported by a Democratic majority in the state legislature, Minnesota has passed a considerable list of progressive measures, from legalizing marijuana to protecting abortion rights and making school meals free. He has also passed laws to crack down on gun violence; although he is a licensed gun owner and is an avid hunter. Walz previously received campaign donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA), but after the 2017 massacre in Las Vegas, he donated all the money he received from the NRA to charities. Today, the NRA thinks of him as a governor that does not support its interests.

On the negative side, he is accused of having delayed deploying the National Guard in the face of serious riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in 2020.

Following Harris’ selection, Walz will be replaced as governor by his second-in-command, Peggy Flanagan. The current lieutenant governor will be the first Native American woman to serve as state governor.

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