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- By Levi Rickert and Neely Bardwell
BREAKING NEWS – Native Vote 2024. Democratic presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, 60, as her running mate for the November 5, 2024 election. This comes after heavy speculation surrounding who she would pick.
Walz has had many job titles in his resume, including governor of Minnesota, a six-term member of Congress, 24-year National Guard member, a 20-year social studies high school teacher, and a coach.
"I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Governor 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. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election," Vice President Harris said.
The Trump-Vance campaign was quick to respond to Harris' announcement.
"Kamala Harris just doubled-down on her radical vision for America by tapping another left-wing extremist as her VP nominee," the campaign said in a press release.
Most political pundits disagreed with the Trump-Vance campaign's assessment of Walz, who was known for his moderate votes while serving in Congress.
The selection is important to Indian Country if the Harris-Walz ticket is elected in November because Walz will resign as governor and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will become the governor of Minnesota. Flanagan would become the first Native American female governor of any state in history.
Walz’s name gained momentum as a potential running mate when he said about Donald Trump and J.D.Vance “these guys are just weird” while speaking to a crowd of canvassers for the Harris campaign in St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday, July 27.
The word stuck. Even Vice President Harris used the words “just plain weird” describing the Republican ticket. Other Democratic leaders have tagged Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as being weird.
RELATED: How Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan May Become the First Native American State Governor
On Monday, Reuters reported that the search had narrowed to two governors: Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz . This comes after Harris, 59, interviewed both men, as well as the Arizona senator Mark Kelly, over the weekend at the Naval Observatory, the Washington DC residence of the vice-president.
Three other men were reported to be on her potential picks list including the Illinois Governor JB Pritzker; Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear; and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and current U.S.secretary of Transportation.
Walz was first elected Governor in 2018 as Minnesota's 41st Governor, and won re-election in 2022. During his tenure, he provided universal free school meals for students, protected reproductive freedom, strengthened voting rights, laid the groundwork to get Minnesota to 100% clean electricity by 2040, cut taxes for the middle class, and expanded paid leave for Minnesota workers.
Walz was born in a small town in rural Nebraska. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the Army National Guard, He went on to attend Chadron State College and graduated with a social science degree in 1989, then spent a year teaching abroad before returning home to serve full time in the Army National Guard. Eventually, he accepted a high school teaching and coaching position.
After he met his wife, they moved to Mankato in 1996, where they worked at Mankato West High School. After 24 years in the Army National Guard, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005. The next year, he won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 and was re-elected for another five terms serving Minnesota’s First Congressional District in Southern Minnesota.
In April, NAFOA, the Native American Finance Officers Association, awarded Walz with its 2024 Government Economic Empowerment for his exceptional dedication to tribal relations. Throughout his two terms, Governor Walz prioritized enhancing government-to-government relationships with Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations, enacting Executive Order 19-24 to strengthen consultation requirements. He established the Office of Tribal State Relations within his office, highlighting the significance of tribal partnerships. Governor Walz’s historic visits to all 11 tribes in the state underscore his commitment to meaningful engagement and consultation.
His initiatives, including the establishment of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives’ office were also cited as his commitment to Indian Country.
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