And they’re off!
I first heard the name Tim Walz when he surfaced in Kamala Harris’s “short list” of possible VP candidates. And like many of you, my first reaction was, “huh?”
We’re learning.
- He is Minnesota’s 41st governor. First elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
- Met his wife, Gwen Whipple, when they taught at the same school.
- Helped coach the football team that won the school’s first state championship.
- He was faculty advisor for his school’s first gay-straight alliance chapter.
- Served 24 years in the Army National Guard and retired as a Command Sergeant Major.
- Served 6 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
As governor, Walz’s list of accomplishment include:
- protecting reproductive freedom
- cutting taxes for the middle class
- providing free school breakfast and lunch for all Minnesota public school students
- expanding paid leave for workers
He was first to label JD Vance and Trump as “weird” and boy, did that take off.
He’s relatable. He’s a great dad. He likes kids.
He tells dad jokes (just ask his kids). He’s the type of guy who, if you ask him if he got a haircut, he’ll say, “No, I got them all cut.” *snicker*
By all accounts, Governor Walz is the definition of a “nice guy.” But– and this is important– he’s a nice guy with a bite. Walz knows how to throw a political punch. He knows how to talk smack, but in the nicest way possible. He’s polite, but feisty.
He’ll introduce “Minnesota nice” to the world. But make no mistake. “Nice” does not equal doormat.
Welcome, Governor Tim Walz, and aloha!