This morning, just days after earning the official Democratic nomination via a virtual roll call vote, Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her vice-presidential nominee. Walz, who began his political career with a surprise win in Minnesota’s rural 1st Congressional District in 2006 after decades of teaching, does not represent a traditional swing state, but certainly appeals to Midwestern voters in the three key battlegrounds of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

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Why Governor Walz?

From the early days of her announcement to run in place of President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris was expected by many to select a white man to demographically “balance” the top of the Democratic ticket. Indeed, her “final” list discussed over recent weeks consisted of Gov. Walz, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. Whereas Gov. Shapiro and Sen. Kelly may have been targeted picks from key swing states in this election, Gov. Walz offers an opportunity to shore up support among blue-collar voters in several middle America states.

Gov. Walz is seen as the amicable, straightforward personality one would expect from a Minnesota governor, and his credentials as a veteran and gun owner who previously represented a Republican-leaning, rural part of Minnesota in Congress demonstrate his ability to win over battleground voters. His profile could help Harris appeal to working-class Midwesterners, whether they work in education, manufacturing, agriculture, or as veterans, who have turned away from Democrats in recent cycles. Gov. Walz is also the current chair of the Democratic Governors Association, giving him potential insights into regional dynamics affecting races across the country.  

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Early Career and Background

Raised in Nebraska, Walz enlisted in the National Guard and earned a degree in education before moving to his wife’s home state of Minnesota. Walz remained on duty with the Guard for over two decades and taught high school social studies while coaching football. Walz first ran for Congress in 2006, coming up against a six-time incumbent Republican in the agriculture-heavy 1st Congressional District of Minnesota and won by six points. His moderate-leaning district encompassed Rochester, Mankato, and bordered with three Midwest states. He remains the only Democrat to have represented Minnesota’s 1st this century.

Though he may lack the national profile of fellow “Blue Wall” governors Gretchen Whitmer or Josh Shapiro, Walz earned two decisive gubernatorial victories in Minnesota, both by ten-point margins. He currently presides over the first fully Democratic-controlled state government in Minnesota since 2013 and has used the opportunity to pass several major reforms to Minnesota law, including requiring paid leave, cannabis legalization, increased spending on environmental issues, codifying abortion rights, universal free school meals, and universal gun background checks.

Walz’s Political Career

Walz represented his moderate-to-Republican-leaning district for over a decade and espoused center-left politics while in Congress. He voted for raising the minimum wage, funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Medicare drug price negotiation reform, and the Affordable Care Act. He also earned an A rating from the National Rifle Association as a strong supporter of gun rights.

However, Walz admits to a more liberal turn since assuming the Minnesota governorship. He has adjusted his views on gun policies to pass background checks and eliminate reciprocal-carry agreements between Minnesota and neighboring states. Having won the House and Senate in Minnesota, Walz’s DFL (Democrat-Farmer-Labor) Party in Minnesota has codified the right to abortion, allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license, legalized recreational marijuana, removed the college degree requirement for many Minnesota state jobs, and offered free college tuition for students from low-income families. On the ambitious platform he has enacted this term, Walz said, “You don't win elections to bank political capital. You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.” Walz balances Harris geographically and demographically, while bringing a history of campaign wins in purple-to-red areas and a recent progressive governing record. His profile and political history certainly gained attention in the “veepstakes,” and he must now go from a relatively unknown upper Midwest governor to the leading voice for needed swing state voter blocs.