Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as her VP — but how pro-LGBTQ+ is he?

Who is Tim Walz?

First, the basics. Tim serves as the current Governor of Minnesota after winning reelection in 2022.

Walz was born in 1964 and is 60 years old. Harris is turning 60 in October of this year, so they're the same age. Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska. He had three siblings and grew up in a rural area of the state. His father, James F. Walz, was diagnosed with lung cancer while he was in high school (via Bloomberg) and passed away shortly after Tim Walz graduated (via the Omaha World-Herald). At age 17, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard (ARNG) and began his military career where he served in the U.S. Army until 2005. Furthermore, Walz also worked as a teacher and football coach.

As reported by People, Walz has been married to Gwen Whipple since 1994, with whom he has a daughter, Hope, and a son, Gus.

In an interview with Pod Save America's Jon Lovett, Walz jokingly referred to his daughter as his "Gen Z whisperer" and revealed that she works as a social worker.

How qualified is Tim Walz to be Kamala Harris' VP?

The Democratic Party has relied on the "blue wall" to win the last few presidential elections. The term "blue wall," which has been used since 1992, describes a block of states consisting of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada, as outlined by NPR. In an analysis from NBC News, experts have argued that Walz could help Harris get even more solid "support across critical nearby 'blue wall' states," which feels vital for Democrats to win the 2024 election.

Many VP picks are chosen for the "archetype" they represent to the public. In Walz's case, he was raised in a rural upbringing and went on to have long careers in the military and as a teacher. These are all very enticing traits for a running mate joining Harris' campaign because they challenge this idea propagated by conservative pundits that all Democrats are "coastal elites" and can't relate to the general public.

It didn't take long for Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, to start pushing a narrative that Harris is an extremely progressive politician from a very liberal place such as San Francisco. By adding the Minnesota Governor to the ticket, though, Harris now has a powerful surrogate to counter-argue those Republican talking points.

Walz is a "straight-shooting" politician from humble beginnings who grew up in the Midwest — and we cannot emphasize how helpful this is for the Harris campaign to fight back against claims that she's somehow "out of touch" with the general population.

What are Tim Walz's political stances on gun control?

During the aforementioned interview with Pod Save America from July 30, 2024, Lovett highlighted a previous statement from Walz saying that his kids influenced him to change his views on gun safety. For context, The New York Times reported that Walz received donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA) in the very early days of his political career and got the NRA's official endorsement for some of his campaigns.

However, by the time Walz started his Minnesota gubernatorial campaign in 2018, he had already changed his pro-gun stance. Not only did he start advocating for gun restrictions, but he also called for a ban on assault weapons.

"We just got to embrace the things that make this country great," Walz told Pod Save America. "I'm friends with [March for Our Lives board member] David Hogg; he and I have talked about this. I think [I experienced] an evolution on this. I grew up in a small town, [so] I'd put my shotgun in my car, or at school or in the football locker, to go pheasant hunting afterwards."

He continued:

"That was a reality, but we weren't getting shot in school. We weren't getting shot and we didn't have ARs [assault rifles] in school. For me, it was both a reckoning and an embarrassment. I was one of the people who took a meeting with 23 sets of parents from Sandy Hook in my office. (….) Their kids would've been my son's age at 17. I appreciate all the people who've worked on that. We're seeing that move, so there are reasons to be optimistic.

"These kids have seen a lot, but they're ready to end it," Walz concluded.

What are Tim Walz's political stances on LGBTQ+ rights?

A story from the Star Tribune revealed that, while working as a teacher at Mankato West High School in 1999, Walz played a significant role in helping "gay and lesbian students deal with bullying." Walz reportedly also helped create a gay-straight alliance (GSA) in the school.

"The fact that he took on that role while also being the football coach was so important," Jacob Reitan, who was the first out gay student at Mankato West, told The Washington Post. "He set an example not just for LGTBQ+ students but for football players in the locker room at a time [when] gay people were not well understood. He made the school a safe place for everybody."

As the Governor of Minnesota, Walz was also involved in various decisions benefitting the LGBTQ+ community. The Advocate has reported on several of those accomplishments, such as when Walz banned conversion therapy in the state, turned Minnesota into a refuge for transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care, and made it illegal for state libraries to ban LGBTQ+ books.

Where can you follow Tim Walz on social media?

As of this writing, Walz has 120,000 followers on Instagram (@timwalz) and 255,000 on X (formerly Twitter, @Tim_Walz).

Walz has already shared posts reacting to Harris' decision to pick him as her running mate.

"It is the honor of a lifetime to join [Kamala Harris] in this campaign," he wrote in an X post. "I'm all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what's possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let's get this done, folks! Join us."

On Instagram, Harris and Walz shared a joint statement acknowledging the news.

"I am proud to announce that I've asked [Tim Walz] to be my running mate. One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It's personal," the post reads, before diving deep into Walz's story.

The post continued:

"Whether you are a supporter, a volunteer, a donor, a member of our staff, or your name is on the ticket: you are part of the people-powered campaign that is going to defeat Donald Trump. We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election."