While Gwen Walz, the two-term governor’s wife, may not officially be on the ticket, her background is getting plenty of attention too.
An educator for more than two decades and life-long Minnesotan, Gwen Walz was an agenda setter during her husband’s time in office.
She prioritized education and criminal justice reform, initiatives that could see traction in Washington with a Harris-Walz White House.
Gwen Walz, 58, met the Minnesota governor when the two were teaching in Nebraska.
They married in 1994 and share two children Hope and Gus.
Image source: Minnesota.gov
Gwen Walz has previously spoken about the couple’s infertility struggles and how they used IVF to conceive.
While Tim Walz created a social-media forward platform for himself during his time as governor, Gwen Walz appears to have taken on a less-public role.
She only created an Instagram account in recent days. She also participated in few media interviews as Minnesota’s First Lady.
When she does speak publicly, however, it is often about her commitment to education, criminal justice reform and how the two intersect.
Her first public event as first lady of Minnesota was a rally for restoring convicted felons’ voting rights.
Gwen Walz also chaired a task force on recidivism and toured state prisons.
She is said to advise her husband and she is the first Minnesota governor’s spouse to have an office in the state capitol.
Since her launch into national politics this week, she’s also been on the receiving end of criticism from the right, especially for comments she made during Minneapolis’ 2020 racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd.
In a now viral clip, Gwen Walz described the smell of the burning tires and said she kept the window open for as long as she could “because I felt that was such a touchstone of what was happening”.
Republicans are using the clip to cast Gwen Walz, and her husband, as too far-left for voters.
Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential nominee.
Tim Walz, 60, is a former school teacher and member of Congress.
Kamala Harris wrote on social media that he stood out from the competition because “his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep”.
But the Trump campaign said Tim Walz was a “dangerously liberal extremist”.
He is viewed as somebody who can win over rural and working-class voters, particularly in crucial Midwestern states.
On August 6, Tim Walz appeared with Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before the pair begin a five-day tour of other key battleground states.
They will also speak at the Democratic National Convention later this month, from 19 to 22 August in Chicago, when the Harris-Walz ticket will be made formal.
Tim Walz said earlier it was “the honor of a lifetime” to join the Democratic ticket.
Kamala Harris was officially selected as the party’s presidential nominee by a virtual roll-call vote that ended on August 5.
They will face Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, in the general election on November 5.
Image source: Minnesota.gov
US media reports indicated Kamala Harris had not decided her running mate until August 6.
Her campaign vetted about a dozen people over the past two weeks.
Announcing the selection, Kamala Harris shared details of Tim Walz’s background “both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record”.
“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own,” she wrote.
“We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.”
During the vetting process, Tim Walz drew enthusiastic support from pro-labor groups and his party’s progressive wing.
He also gained attention with his description of Donald Trump and ‘Make America Great Again’ Republicans as “weird”.
Republican candidate Donald Trump has reacted to President Joe Biden’s decision to pull out of the presidential race, posting on his platform Truth Social: “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president, and is certainly not fit to serve – and never was!”
“He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement.
“All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t,” he writes.
“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage hehas done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
President Joe Biden, 81, has announced he’s ending his campaign for re-election to the White House.
It follows weeks of pressure from within his party, sparked by a faltering debate performance against Donald Trump in late June.
The president said his decision was “in the best interest of my party and the country” and that it had been the greatest honour of his life to serve as the American president.
Joe Biden said he would see out the remainder of his term in the White House and has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to take the top of the ticket as the Democratic candidate for president in the November election.
His political opponents, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have called on him to step down straight away. Joe Biden’s rival for president, Donald Trump, says the Democrat is “not fit to serve”.
However, Joe Biden has received tributes from prominent figures within his party, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, and beyond – such as Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who said he “restored honesty, dignity and integrity” to the White House after Trump.
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