Teacher, politician and gay rights champion: All about Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s VP pick
Tim Walz, Minnesota governor now Kamala Harris’s VP pick
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (Aug 6) reportedly chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate ahead of the 2024 presidential elections. Walz has served over a decade in Congress and is currently in his second term as the governor.
More about Tim Walz
The 60-year-old Democrat was born and raised in Nebraska. He has served as a teacher in China as well as in Mankato, Minnesota. He advocated gay rights long before the Democrats took up the agenda at the national level.
People describe him as an individual who talks like ordinary, normal people, something that could help his party win over rural, white voters. He entered politics as a member of former Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.
In 2006, Walz orchestrated a major upset in the Republican-leaning congressional district southern Minnesota district, and kept it until 2016. Two years later, he ran for governor and emerged victorious.
Key policies
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As governor, he has championed policies like tuition-free meals at participating state universities, enshrining abortion rights into state law, banning conversion therapy, and providing protections for gender-affirming healthcare.
Watch:US elections: Kamala Harris readies Philadelphia rally to introduce her running mate
While reacting to a Republican opponent earlier this month, Walz jokingly said, “What a monster! Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn and women are making their own healthcare decisions.”
Controversial position on gun control
His views on gun control are opposed by progressives in Minnesota. He himself is a gun owner and a hunter, and previously received endorsements from the National Rifle Association and had an A rating from the group.
But in the past few years, he appears to have shifted his position. Following the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, he wired the donations from the NRA to charity.
He also backed a weapon ban in 2018 after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Some drawbacks
Republicans are expected to target Walz over the 2020 George Floyd protests by tying him to the violence in the aftermath.
Geography is another drawback for him, as Minnesota is already a Democratic state. So, Walz’s name as Kamala’s VP may not necessarily further boost the party’s winning prospects in the state.
(With inputs from agencies)