Tim Walz

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; April 6, 1964; West Point, Nebraska, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (DFL)
Spouse	Gwen Whipple (m. 1994)
Children	2
Residence(s)	Governor's Residence; Eastcliff Mansion
Education	Chadron State College (BS); Minnesota State University, Mankato (MS); Saint Mary's University of Minnesota;
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army Nebraska National Guard; Minnesota National Guard; ;
Years of service	1981–2005
Rank	Command sergeant major
Unit	1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment
Battles/wars	Operation Enduring Freedom;
Awards	Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal (2); National Defense Service Medal (2); Global War on Terrorism Service Medal;

Timothy James Walz (/wɔːlz/ ^ⓘ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, former educator, and Army National Guard veteran serving since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019, and was the Democratic nominee for vice president in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

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 and then moved 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 and was the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee from 2017 to 2019. He was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and reelected in 2022, holding office during the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota. During his first term, protests and riots related to the murder of George Floyd occurred. During his second 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 election. Their ticket was defeated by Republican nominees Donald Trump and JD Vance.

On September 16, 2025, Walz announced that he would be running for a third term as Minnesota governor.^[2]

^ Steil, Alex (July 23, 2023). "Walz, family move into Eastcliff". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
^ Marquez, Alexandra (September 16, 2025). "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will run for a third term in 2026". Retrieved September 16, 2025.

[1] Steil, Alex (July 23, 2023). "Walz, family move into Eastcliff". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.

[2] Marquez, Alexandra (September 16, 2025). "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will run for a third term in 2026". Retrieved September 16, 2025.

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