Who is Tim Walz? A possible VP pick for Kamala Harris | background, family, net worth

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is thought to be among the top contenders of potential running mates for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Since President Biden dropped out of the 2020 race and endorsed his vice president, Governor Walz has been seen on cable news defending Harris ' record and attacking Republicans’ policies and rhetoric.

President Biden won Minnesota in 2020 by over five points, which may make him a less desirable option for the Harris campaign. Instead, the Harris campaign could pick a popular leader from a state where their presence on the ticket could run up the numbers. Kentucky Governor Andy Basheer and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper are two candidates who fall into those categories.

But, strategists see Gov. Walz as a solid pick because he has shown he can appeal to a Midwestern audience, and votes from those key states, including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, will be critical to securing a victory for the Democrats in November. In 2020, Joe Biden won Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but all races were a dead heat, and Democrats cannot afford to lose these states. A vice presidential candidate who can speak to these voters would be a great asset to the campaign as momentum grows behind Harris.

Road to the Governorship

Tim Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, in 1964, the same year as Kamala Harris. However, the two have very different life trajectories. Harris grew up in the Bay Area of northern California to immigrant parents from India and Jamaica, while Walz grew up in the Heartland. After graduating from a small high school in Nebraska, Walz joined the National Guard and studied to become a teacher. For more than two decades, Walz taught high school social science while also coaching football.

During his early teaching years, he met his future wife, Gwen Whipple. The couple has two children.

After many years of teaching, Walz began to show interest in running for office and, in 2006, launched his campaign for Congress. That year, he was elected Representative for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. After more than a decade in Congress, he decided to run for Minnesota Governor and, in 2018, beat the Republican in the race by over 10 points. In 2022, Democrats remained in control of the governor’s seat and won a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. This has allowed the Democratic Party to pass several progressive initiatives, including universal free breakfast and lunch programs in public schools and the passage of increased labor protections for ride-share drivers. These are just two of the many policies implemented to support low and middle-income families in the state.

What is Tim Walz’s net worth?

The Govenor has never made his net worth public, but the best estimates based on his tax returns and decades of service as a led the MinnPost to estimate it to be anywhere between $199,000 and $460,000.