Who is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, one of a dozen being vetted as a possible Kamala Harris running mate?
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is being vetted as a possible vice presidential candidate for likely Democratic nominee Vice President Harris.
On Wednesday, a source familiar with the process said about a dozen individuals are being vetted as possible running mates.
In addition to Walz, multiple sources said the list of candidates includes several other governors: Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. Several members of the Biden administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are also being considered.
Who is Walz?
Now in his second term as governor, Walz, 60, also served 12 years as a U.S. congressman before his successful 2018 run to lead the state.
Before his political career, the Nebraska native served in the Army National Guard for nearly a quarter century. He also taught at Mankato West High School for 12 years and served as an assistant football coach.
During his time as governor, Walz has experienced several major crises. In his first term, he faced harsh criticism from Republicans amid the duel dilemmas of the COVID-19 pandemic and the violent uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.
His use of emergency powers, mask mandates and business shutdowns during the pandemic outraged his critics, as did his perceived delay in activating the National Guard to help restore order on Twin Cities streets during the unrest, which drew the ire of then-President Donald Trump.
During his successful 2022 reelection campaign against GOP candidate Dr. Scott Jensen, who was banned from some social media platforms for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, Walz consistently defended the "hard decisions" he made during the pandemic.
He went on to defeat Jensen by nearly 200,000 votes, leading to his second term as governor that coincided with Democrats taking back the reins of the state senate to control both chambers as well as the governor's office.
Since Democrats' trfiecta power in state government, Walz has signed several progressive policy wins into law, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, protection of abortion access in the state, free school meals for all children, clean energy benchmarks, and a "red flag" law that gives state courts the power to legally confiscate guns from residents who pose a risk to themselves and others.
A swift pivot from Biden backer to Harris supporter
Earlier this month, Walz was among several Democratic governors who visited the White House amid calls for President Biden to drop his reelection bid following the first presidential debate.
Walz told the press after the meeting that Biden was indeed "fit for office."
"He has had our backs through COVID, through all of the recovery, all the things that have happened. The governors have his back," Walz said.
Soon after Biden announced he was leaving the race on Sunday, Walz quickly fell in line with the majority of Democrats to endorse Harris.
McCollum launches VP chatter
Just days before Biden's announcement, Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum joined the chorus of Democrats calling on Biden to step down. She then went further to throw Walz's name in as a possible vice presidential candidate.
"Vice President Harris will need a strong Midwestern running mate and I encourage her and the Democratic delegates to consider a successful leader who has been a teacher, soldier, football coach, former member of Congress, and a proven winner — Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz," McCollum said.
"I've seen it out there and it's a little weird"
WCCO's Esme Murphy asked Walz on Monday about his VP prospects, but his response was both calculated and cagey.
"I don't think you turn down a job that you haven't been offered, but I have the best job in the world in being the governor of Minnesota," Walz said.
When pressed again about his possible candidacy during an event on Tuesday, Walz made it clear that he wasn't going to speak on the matter and reiterated his full support for Harris. He did, however, quip to reporters about the surrealness of hearing his name being tossed about.
"I've seen it out there and it's a little weird (laughs)!" Walz said.
Delegates will begin the vote to officially nominate Harris on Aug. 1. The Democratic National Convention starts on Aug. 19.
