{"id":2319896,"date":"2024-08-06T10:09:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T14:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-is-tim-walz-meet-harriss-pick-for-vice-president-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-06T10:11:13","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T14:11:13","slug":"who-is-tim-walz-meet-harriss-pick-for-vice-president-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-is-tim-walz-meet-harriss-pick-for-vice-president-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Tim Walz? Meet Harris&#8217;s pick for Vice President &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwho-is-tim-walz-meet-harriss-pick-for-vice-president-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2319896&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Tim Walz is the governor of Minnesota and has recently\u2063 been selected by Vice President\u2062 Kamala\u200d Harris as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska, and raised in Chadron, Nebraska, \u2063Walz has a diverse background in education and\u2062 public service. He \u2063graduated \u200cfrom Chadron State \u200bCollege and later earned \u2064a master&#8217;s degree from Minnesota \u200bState University, Mankato.<\/p>\n<p>Walz&#8217;s \u2062career includes 20 years as a public school teacher, during which he taught at the Pine Ridge Indian\u200d Reservation and abroad in China. Additionally, he served\u2063 for\u200c 24 years\u200c in the \u200cUnited States National Reserve, focusing\u200d on disaster response. His political career began in 2006, when he was elected to the U.S. House of \u200bRepresentatives\u2062 for Minnesota&#8217;s 1st Congressional District, where\u2063 he served \u2062six terms. In 2018, he was elected governor of Minnesota, winning \u200creelection in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>As governor, Walz has been\u2062 an advocate for education, having passed Minnesota&#8217;s largest education budget and initiatives for free meals in schools. He is also \u2063known for his support of veterans&#8217; affairs,\u2062 women&#8217;s reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, opposing policies such as &#8220;Don&#8217;t ask, don&#8217;t tell.&#8221; His\u2063 tenure has been marked\u2063 by significant\u2062 events, including his response to the death of George Floyd, leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elizabeth-warren-says-the-filibuster-is-racist-here-are-three-times-shes-used-it-herself\/\" title=\"Elizabeth Warren Says The Filibuster Is \u2018Racist\u2019\u2026 Here Are Three Times She\u2019s Used It Herself\">police reform legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tim Walz is married to Gwen Whipple, and they have two children. His extensive career and commitment to\u200b public service, along with his Midwest roots, have positioned him as a strong contender for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-the-bidens-got-rich-while-americans-got-robbed\/\" title=\"Donald Trump: &#039;The Bidens Got Rich While Americans Got Robbed&#039;\">vice presidency<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Who is Tim Walz? Meet Harris&rsquo;s pick for vice president<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1709773\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Vice President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/%E2%86%97\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> has picked Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Upon announcing her campaign, Walz quickly endorsed Harris, keeping vice presidential buzz to a minimum while many of his Midwestern colleagues nudged his name into the fold. He became a favorite, alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), in the final days before her decision became public.<\/p>\n<p>Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison, a Minnesota representative and the state&rsquo;s attorney general, respectively, have been his most vocal supporters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I know Tim Walz, and he&rsquo;s a great Midwesterner, through and through,&rdquo; Ellison said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s extremely well positioned.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But who exactly is Tim Walz?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) speaks to reporters after meeting with President Joe Biden, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo\/Susan Walsh)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Age<\/h2>\n<p>Tim Walz was born on April 6, 1964. He is 60 years old.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hometown <\/h2>\n<p>Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, but spent most of his childhood in Chadron, a rural town bordering South Dakota.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Education <\/h2>\n<p>He attended Butte High School, graduating with a very small class of 25. Walz later graduated from Chadron State College with a degree in social science education, then received a master&rsquo;s in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato, in 2001.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Career<\/h2>\n<p>Born in rural West Point, Nebraska, Walz began his life with the hope of making a difference as a school teacher. His first teaching position was at South Dakota&rsquo;s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and he later went on to teach in China with the organization WorldTeach.<\/p>\n<p>For 24 years, Walz served as a noncommissioned officer in the United States National Reserve. During his time in the service, Walz was often assigned to disaster response, rescuing people from danger and rebuilding communities destroyed by tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters. In 1989, Walz received the Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year distinction and retired as a master sergeant in 2005. A civilian once again, Walz returned to teaching at Mankato West High School.<\/p>\n<p>In 2006, Walz ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota&rsquo;s 1st Congressional District. Defeating Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht, Walz went on to serve six consecutive terms until 2016, serving on the House Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Veterans Affairs.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, Walz became the governor of Minnesota, winning reelection in 2022 as well. In office during the death of George Floyd and its subsequent protests, Walz signed multiple police reform bills into law and condemned Derek Chauvin, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/third-degree-murder-charge-against-ex-cop-derek-chauvin-reinstated-by-appeals-court\/\" title=\"Third-Degree Murder Charge Against Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin Reinstated By Appeals Court\">police officer charged<\/a> with Floyd&rsquo;s murder. Walz also legalized recreational marijuana in 2023 after years of advocating the decriminalization of cannabis.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Family<\/h2>\n<p>Tim Walz married Gwen Whipple in 1994. They lived in Mankato, Minnesota, for 20 years before moving to St. Paul when Walz became governor. They have two children.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Major policy initiatives<\/h2>\n<p>As a public school teacher for 20 years, much of Walz&rsquo;s time in Washington and as governor has been spent bolstering the education system. As governor he has passed a $2.3 billion education budget, the largest in Minnesota&rsquo;s history. Walz has also passed various laws that ensure students are able to receive free breakfast and lunch at school.<\/p>\n<p>He has been endorsed by the National Education Association and the American Association of University Women, among others. He believes in lowering tuition costs and has opposed merit-based pay for teachers.<\/p>\n<p>His other main focus has been on veterans affairs and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-is-tim-walz-meet-the-potential-vp-for-kamala-harris-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Who is Tim Walz? Meet the potential VP for Kamala Harris - Washington Examiner\">advocating active-duty military personnel<\/a>. Walz has pursued the goal of ending veteran homelessness in Minnesota as well as bolstering veteran bonuses and veterans homes.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By expanding service bonuses, investing in veterans homes and the health of our service members, and moving Minnesota closer to ending veterans homelessness, this bill will improve the lives of veterans and service members across the state,&rdquo; Walz said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/governor\/newsroom\/press-releases\/?id=1055-577792\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He has also invested in the Minnesota National Guard, and in 2008, he supported a G.I. Bill designed to bolster veterans&rsquo; education benefits and even hand down tuition assistance to family members.<\/p>\n<p>During his tenure in Congress and as governor, Walz has supported women&rsquo;s reproductive health and the right to an abortion, voting along Democratic Party lines. Planned Parenthood has given him a 100% rating, while the National Life Committee has given him a rating of 0%.<\/p>\n<p>Walz has also been a vehement supporter of LGBT rights for years and called for the end of the military&rsquo;s &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t ask, don&rsquo;t tell&rdquo; policy and support for the Respect for Marriage Act. While in office, he has also flip-flopped on his position on gun rights. Beginning as a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, he received multiple endorsements from the National Rifle Association while in Congress. After the 2018 Parkland High School shooting, Walz denounced the NRA and claimed he would donate the $18,000 they contributed to his campaigns to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comments on potential vice presidency <\/h2>\n<p>Walz told reporters on Tuesday that he would &ldquo;be there to do anything [he] can do to help&rdquo; but mostly dodged the questions about potentially becoming Harris&rsquo;s running mate. When asked if his name was part of the conversation, he again claimed to not have any information.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I do not know that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I spoke to the vice president on Sunday, shortly after the announcement by President Biden, and she just made it clear that she wants to earn the endorsement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you turn down a job that you haven&rsquo;t been offered,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;but I have the best job in the world in being the governor of Minnesota.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1709773\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1709773\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who is Tim Walz? Introducing Harris&#8217;s Vice Presidential Choice<\/p>\n<p>Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Following the launch of her campaign, Walz promptly endorsed Harris, downplaying speculation about his candidacy while several of his fellow Midwestern politicians promoted his name. In the final days leading up to her announcement, he emerged as a frontrunner alongside Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA). His most prominent supporters include Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum and Attorney General Keith Ellison, who praised him as an exemplary Midwesterner and noted that he is &#8220;extremely well positioned.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So who is Tim Walz? Born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska, he grew up primarily in Chadron\u2014a rural town near South Dakota. He graduated from Butte High School with a small class of just 25 students before earning a degree in social science education from Chadron State College and later obtaining a master&#8217;s degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato.<\/p>\n<p>Walz began his career with aspirations to make an impact as an educator. His first teaching role was at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; he also taught in China through WorldTeach. He served for 24 years as a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. National Reserve and was involved in disaster response efforts during this time. In recognition of his service, he received the Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year award in 1989 and retired as a master sergeant in 2005.<\/p>\n<p>After returning to civilian life, Walz resumed teaching at Mankato West High School before entering politics. In 2006, he successfully ran for Minnesota\u2019s 1st Congressional District seat against Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht and served six consecutive terms until 2016 on both the House Agriculture Committee and Veterans Affairs Committee. He became governor of Minnesota in 2018 and won reelection in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>During his governorship\u2014marked by significant events such as George Floyd&#8217;s death\u2014Walz enacted multiple police reform measures and condemned Derek Chauvin for Floyd\u2019s murder. Additionally, he legalized recreational marijuana use statewide after years advocating for cannabis decriminalization.<\/p>\n<p>Tim Walz married Gwen Whipple in 1994; they lived together for two decades before relocating to St. Paul when he assumed office as governor. The couple has two children.<\/p>\n<p>As both an educator and politician focused on improving education systems throughout his career\u2014evidenced by passing a historic $2.3 billion education budget\u2014Walz has prioritized ensuring free breakfast and lunch programs are available to students while receiving endorsements from organizations like the National Education Association.<\/p>\n<p>His commitment extends beyond education; he&#8217;s also dedicated significant efforts toward veterans&#8217; affairs\u2014including initiatives aimed at ending veteran homelessness\u2014and enhancing benefits such as bonuses for service members.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout his political journey\u2014including support for women&#8217;s reproductive rights aligned with Democratic values\u2014Walz has maintained strong advocacy positions on LGBT rights while evolving views regarding gun control following high-profile incidents like Parkland shooting where previously held NRA endorsements were renounced post-incident donations redirected towards veteran support funds instead.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding potential vice presidency discussions surrounding Harris\u2019 campaign launch announcement earlier this week: when asked if he&#8217;d been partaking conversations about joining her ticket or had any knowledge thereof\u2014the governor expressed uncertainty but affirmed willingness \u201cto do anything\u201d helpful without confirming involvement directly stating \u201cI have best job being governor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3195,"featured_media":2319897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/tim-walz.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4021,5894,36113,32518,32076],"class_list":["post-2319896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-harris","tag-politics","tag-tim-walz","tag-vice-president","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/tim-walz.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2319896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2319896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2319896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2319897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2319896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2319896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2319896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}