Tim Walz

Tim Walz
Walz in 2024
41st Governor of Minnesota
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2019
Lieutenant	Peggy Flanagan
Preceded by	Mark Dayton
Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Mark Takano (acting)
Succeeded by	Phil Roe
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 1st district
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Gil Gutknecht
Succeeded by	Jim Hagedorn
Personal details
Born	Timothy James Walz (1964-04-06) April 6, 1964 (age 60) West Point, Nebraska, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Gwen Whipple ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2
Residence(s)	Governor's Residence Eastcliff Mansion[1]
Education	University of Houston Chadron State College (BS) Minnesota State University, Mankato (MS)
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army Nebraska Army National Guard Minnesota Army National Guard
Years of service	1981–2005
Rank	Command Sergeant Major
Unit	1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom
Awards	Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal (2)
Walz's voice Walz speaks in opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Recorded November 15, 2017

Timothy James Walz (/wɔːlz/ ^ⓘ WAWLZ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, former schoolteacher, and retired U.S. Army non-commissioned officer who has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. He is the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019, and was the ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee from 2017 to 2019.

Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska. After high school, he joined the Army National Guard and worked in a factory. He later graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska before moving to Minnesota in 1996. Before running for Congress, he was a high school social studies teacher and football coach. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota's 1st congressional district in 2006, defeating six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht.

Walz was reelected to the House five times before being elected governor of Minnesota in 2018. During his first term, protests and riots broke out in Minnesota after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. Walz was reelected in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Scott Jensen. During his second gubernatorial term, he pushed for and signed a wide range of legislation, including tax modifications, free school meals, bolstering state infrastructure, universal gun background checks, codifying abortion rights, and free college tuition for low-income families.

On August 6, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Walz as her running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.