Situation Report

Since Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President just over two weeks ago, speculation has swirled about the identity of her pick for the Vice Presidential candidate.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz rapidly began making headlines with media appearances in his role as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), in which he hit at Republican candidates, former President Donald Trump and his Vice Presidential candidate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, for being “just weird.”

Governor Walz’s messaging has since come to define the national conversation online and in the media, thrusting him into the spotlight as a potential pick for Harris’s ticket.

Who is Governor Tim Walz?

Governor Tim Walz was raised in rural Nebraska, where he enlisted in the Army National Guard and attended college. He taught high school and coached football before moving to Mankato, MN in 1996. (First Lady Gwen Walz is a native of Glencoe, MN, near Mankato.) Governor Walz received his Master’s of Education from MSU-Mankato, taught high school geography and coached high school football until his first run for U.S. Congress (CD-1) in 2006. He served six terms in Congress, carving out a niche in veterans’ affairs and agriculture, and becoming the highest-ranking military veteran to hold federal office. He then ran for and was elected Governor in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022.

Walz’s tenure as Governor has been punctuated by major events like COVID-19, the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd, and the major legislative session of 2023 led by a DFL trifecta. (DFL = Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party)

Governor Walz has two children: Hope, who recently graduated college out of state, and Gus, who attends Central High School in Saint Paul.

This writer can confirm our Governor’s folksy charm is fully authentic. An affable and unrehearsed politician, Walz’s leadership has relied on finding common ground with political opponents, minimizing responses to scandals such as the Feeding Our Future criminal case, and leaving much of the policy agenda-setting to the Legislature.

What’s the timeline?

Vice President Kamala Harris conducted final-round interviews with her top VP picks on Sunday. Press reports indicate her final two choices have since narrowed to Governor Walz and Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

VP Harris has an event scheduled in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening that will mark the first joint public appearance for the full Democratic ticket. Her team has indicated they will announce her VP pick via video either Monday or Tuesday ahead of the event.

If Governor Walz is selected, what happens next?

If selected, Governor Walz will immediately hit the road with VP Harris, embarking on a multi-city rally tour this week to fire up enthusiasm for Democrats in key states. His team hasn’t indicated how his gubernatorial responsibilities would be handled while he’s on the campaign trail.

What does this mean for MN state government?

If Governor Walz is indeed selected for the ticket, he and VP Harris will face off against former President Trump and Sen. Vance in November. If Democrats win, Minnesota law elevates Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan to the chief executive of the state, and elevates the President of the Senate–currently Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (D-Minneapolis)–to the Lt. Governor spot.

Currently, the state Senate is tied 33-33 due to the resignation of Senator Kelly Morrison (D-Deephaven) to run for Congress. Sen. Morrison’s special election takes place on election day. This DFL-leaning but fairly competitive district will determine the balance of power in the MN Senate in the 2025 legislative session.

If the DFL wins that seat, but if Sen. Champion is elevated to Lt. Governor upon the Presidential inauguration in January, the Senate will again be 33-33 heading into the 2025 session. Sen. Champion’s district is a DFL stronghold—but special elections take time to organize, giving Senate Republicans a chance to throw a wrench into the DFL’s agenda early in session.

Even if Gov. Walz is not selected for the VP spot, his newfound national profile could garner him a spot in a future Harris administration as a cabinet secretary—perhaps returning to his strengths in agriculture or veterans’ affairs.

Anything could happen—and the dominos may fall in myriad different ways—but it’s clear that the next 24 hours could change everything for Minnesota.

August 5, 2024