Timothy James Walz (born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, former U.S. Army non-commissioned officer, and retired educator. He has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Walz represented Minnesota's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019.
Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz joined the Army National Guard and worked in agriculture, manufacturing, and education after high school. He graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska and moved to Minnesota in 1996. Before his congressional career, Walz was a social studies teacher in the Mankato school district. He was elected to Congress in 2006, defeating the six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht, and was reelected five times before retiring in 2019 to become governor. Walz represented a predominantly rural area of southern Minnesota along the Iowa border.
Walz was elected governor of Minnesota on November 6, 2018, defeating Republican Jeff Johnson, and was reelected in 2022, beating Republican Scott Jensen. He has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris in her 2024 presidential campaign.
**Early Life and Education**
Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz is the son of Darlene Rose (née Reiman) and James F. Walz, a public school administrator. He grew up in Valentine, Nebraska, a rural community in the northwestern part of the state. During high school, his father was diagnosed with lung cancer, prompting the family to move to Butte, Nebraska, to be closer to relatives.
Walz graduated from Butte High School in 1982. After his father's death in 1983, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in social science education from Chadron State College in 1989. In 2001, he completed a Master of Science in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
**Career**
Walz’s career began in agriculture, manufacturing, and the National Guard before he pursued a teaching career. After graduating from Chadron State College, he spent a year teaching with WorldTeach in China. Upon returning, he taught and coached in Alliance, Nebraska, where he met his future wife, Gwen Whipple. They married in 1994 and moved to Mankato, Minnesota, in 1996. Walz taught geography and coached at Mankato West High School, leading the football team to its first state championship in 1999. He also became the faculty advisor for the school’s first gay-straight alliance and, with his wife, operated Educational Travel Adventures, organizing educational trips to China for high school students Walz volunteered for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, quickly taking on roles as the county coordinator and district coordinator for Vets for Kerry. In 2005, he completed a two-and-a-half-day campaigns and elections course at Camp Wellstone, a program run by Wellstone Action, the nonprofit established by Mark and David Wellstone to continue the legacy of their parents, Paul and Sheila Wellstone. Shortly after, Walz announced his candidacy for Congress in 2006. He faced no opposition for the DFL nomination in the September 12 primary and went on to defeat incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in the general election on November 7. Walz assumed office on January 3, 2007. Politico noted that Gutknecht was caught “off guard” by the result, while Walz, determined not to be surprised, presented himself as a moderate from the start, focusing on constituent service and becoming a staunch advocate for veterans.
Walz was reelected in 2008 with 62% of the vote, making him only the second non-Republican to secure a second full term in the district. He won a third term in 2010, defeating State Representative Randy Demmer with 50% of the vote, and was subsequently reelected in 2012, 2014, and 2016.
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