Tim Walz has accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination in a speech where he emphasised the party had the “right team” for US election victory.
Speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday (August 21) evening, the Minnesota governor pledged to help his running mate Kamala Harris become the first female president of the US.
He told the Chicago audience: “It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal, but we’re on offence and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field, and boy do we have the right team. Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready.”
The former American football coach was barely known outside his state just a fortnight ago. However, US President Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race has thrust him into the spotlight.
Mr Walz used his DNC speech to introduce himself and criticise his opposite number JD Vance.
“I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people. I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale,” he said about Mr Vance’s education.
Here is what you need to know about Mr Walz and where he stands on all the key issues before the US election in November.
Who is Tim Walz?
Mr Walz was born in Nebraska on April 6, 1964, and grew up in a rural town called West Point near the South Dakota border.
He taught in China as a young man before returning to the US, where he taught and coached American football at Alliance High School in Nebraska.
Mr Walz then helped Mankato West High School in Minnesota win its first state American football championship in 1999.
As an educator, Mr Walz supported LGBTQ+ students and was said to be a popular figure in Minnesota’s education system.
Alongside being a teacher, Mr Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard — a voluntary role he continued for almost three decades.
While supporting the military, Mr Walz was deployed to natural disaster zones and reportedly Italy, supporting US-Afghan operations.
Mr Walz began his political career in 2006 after being elected to the House of Representatives, defeating the incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht.
He was re-elected numerous times before becoming the governor of Minnesota in 2018, a role he’s held ever since.
Mr Walz is a married father of two and initially positioned himself as a moderate Democratic candidate. However, his take on various policies has seemingly shifted left in recent years.
Mr Walz’s wife Gwen, 58, is an American educator and public school administrator. They met while working as teachers at Mankato West High School, where their shared passion for education and public service brought them together.
They have two children: Hope, 23, and Gus, 17.
How is ‘Walz’ pronounced?
It is neither like the dance nor like something you stare at to watch paint dry.
According to Google, it is said “wolts” — and with the English, not Germanic, “w” sound.
Here’s where he stands on the key policies.
Environment
Mr Walz shares a progressive position on environmental policies and has backed clean electricity laws and efforts to cut his state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
He previously agreed that climate change is an “existential threat,” with many climate groups praising Mr Walz’s VP pick due to his environmental position.
Business Insider said his state passed more than 40 climate initiatives in 2023.
At a time when the realities of climate change are impossible to ignore, Mr Walz appears determined to act for the good of the environment.
“I have to tell you, when I hear people say ‘You’re moving too fast’ — we can’t move too fast when it comes to addressing climate change,” he said in 2023. “This idea of waiting is a luxury we do not have, and Minnesotans do not have.”
This is something that has angered Republicans. “He'll rubber stamp Kamala's GREEN NEW SCAM and light TRILLIONS of dollars on fire,” Mr Trump said in a scathing social media post.
Abortion
In 2023, Mr Walz signed a law protecting abortion rights for people in Minnesota. He has also toured a Planned Parenthood clinic and has long shared support for reproductive rights and sexual health.
“By choosing Gov. Walz as her running mate, Vice President Harris has put forward the most pro-reproductive freedom ticket in history,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Gun control
America's longest-standing civil rights organisation, the National Rifle Association (NRA), has endorsed Mr Walz before.
He has reportedly called himself “one of the best shots in Congress”.
However, he’s since distanced himself from the controversial gun lobby group and now advocates stricter gun control to keep Americans safe.
Following the Parkland school shooting in February 2018 and conversations with his daughter, Mr Walz affirmed his commitment to ending gun violence in the country.
“I know that there’s no place for weapons of war in our schools, or in our churches, or in our banks, or anywhere else people are just trying to live their lives without fear,” he said in his State of the State address in 2023.
Immigration
Mr Walz isn’t necessarily from a state where immigration is a major political issue. However, many expect him to advocate a fairer system to help undocumented migrants feel safe.
“There’s no reason someone seeking asylum, which we will always be a guiding light for, should have to wait seven years to have that adjudicated,” he said in 2023.
According to Time, he’s also passed bills that secured health insurance coverage regardless of a person’s immigration status.
Economy
Mr Walz has a long history of supporting American workers, signing a series of bills to enhance employee rights and workplace protections.
In 2021, he backed plans to increase taxes for the richest Minnesotans and on capital gains while also cutting taxes for poorer families.
Mr Walz recently celebrated his child tax credit initiative for helping more than 215,000 Minnesota families.
He’s also pushed for universal free school meals, legalised cannabis in his state, and supported investments in construction and renovation projects in Minnesota.
LGBTQ+ rights
Mr Walz is also an LGBTQ+ ally.
According to Pink News, he’s banned conversion therapy in his state and signed a bill protecting trans youth who have come from other states.
He’s also long stood up for same-sex marriage, and maintains a strong record of protecting people in his state regardless of their sexual orientation.
