Walz, Tim (1964-…), is an American politician. Walz, a member of the Democratic Party, became governor of Minnesota in 2019. In 2024, Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, chose Walz to be her vice presidential running mate in the November election.
Timothy James Walz was born in the town of West Point, in northeastern Nebraska, on April 6, 1964. His family moved to Butte, Nebraska, when he was a teenager. In 1981, Walz joined the Nebraska National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from Chadron State College in 1989. He then taught for a year in China. Walz later worked full-time for the state’s national guard before finding work as a teacher and coach.
Walz married Gwen Whipple, a fellow teacher, in 1994. The couple, who have two children, moved to Mankato, Minnesota, in 1996. They both taught at Mankato West High School, and Walz joined the Minnesota National Guard. In 1999, Walz helped coach the high school football team to its first state championship. He earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University in 2001.
Walz had reached the rank of master sergeant when he left the Minnesota National Guard in 2005. He soon began a campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won election in 2006 and was reelected every two years through 2016. As a congressman, Walz gained attention for his work in veterans affairs. In 2018, Walz was elected governor of Minnesota. He took office in 2019. As governor, he became known for supporting aid to families, including free school lunches.
In July 2024, President Joe Biden ended his campaign for reelection. The Democratic Party soon chose Vice President Kamala Harris as its presidential nominee. Harris picked Walz as her running mate in August.
