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79-435: Tim Walz , elected to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district in 2006, was the progressive training program's first successful candidate at the federal level. Mark Ritchie , Minnesota's former Secretary of State, is a Wellstone Action alum. In May 2018, it was reported that that organization's board of directors had voted to remove Wellstone's two sons from their directorial positions after they raised questions about

158-844: A Global War on Terrorism Service Medal , and an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters. On February 10, 2005, Walz filed official documents to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. In March, the National Guard announced a possible deployment of around 2,000 soldiers from across the Minnesota National Guard to Iraq sometime in the next two years. Walz said he would deploy if called upon. The National Guard finished processing his retirement paperwork in May, and Walz retired from military service on May 16. He later explained that he retired in order to focus on his campaign for Congress and did not want to violate

237-543: A master of science in experiential education from Minnesota State University, Mankato , in 2002, writing his master's thesis on Holocaust education . In March 2006, he took a leave of absence from teaching to run for Congress. With his father's encouragement, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard two days after he turned 17. His father had served during the Korean War and earned his education degree with

316-435: A bend along a river, which they called New Philadelphia. The name was soon changed to West Point because it was the westernmost outpost along the valley. West Point became the county seat of Cuming County on October 12, 1858, after winning the election over the community of DeWitt. A total of 19 votes were split between the two towns with West Point obtaining 12 votes. By the spring of 1859, over 4,000 Pawnee natives flooded

395-569: A bipartisan energy permitting reform bill. Some environmentalists criticized him for fast-tracking the expansion of the Line 3 pipeline and overseeing a vigorous response to the indigenous-led Stop Line 3 protests , marked by allegations of police brutality. After schools closed in 2020 due to COVID-19, Walz was cautious about reopening them, which aligned closely with the concerns of teachers, who were hesitant to return to in-person learning due to fear of contracting COVID-19. According to Nat Malkus of

474-666: A bipartisan resolution calling on the federal government to "relinquish its temporary ownership interests in the General Motors Company and the Chrysler Group , LLC, as soon as possible" and said that the government must not be involved in those companies' management decisions. Walz voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . As a member of the House Transportation Committee , he saw

553-586: A co-chairman of the Council of Governors. In 2023, Walz was named chair of the Democratic Governors Association , a high-profile position that involves supporting other governors in tight races. He stepped down after being selected as Kamala Harris 's running mate. Kansas governor Laura Kelly succeeded him as chair. On May 26, 2020, the day after the murder of George Floyd , Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan demanded justice and called

632-652: A community relations advisory council to consult with the Police Officers Standards and Training Board on policy changes. Walz signed the legislation into law on July 23, 2020. In January 2023, Walz signed the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which protects access to reproductive health care including abortion, contraception, and fertility treatments in Minnesota. Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in Minnesota. In April 2023, he signed

711-714: A district that had usually voted Republican, pundits described Walz's policy positions as ranging from moderate to progressive . In his first month in Congress, Walz was appointed to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs , the Agriculture Committee , and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ; Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a special waiver exempting him from the order that barred most freshman members of Congress from serving on more than two committees. That same year he

790-656: A geography teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School . The football team had lost 27 straight games when he joined the coaching staff as a defensive coordinator. Three years later, in 1999, the team won its first state championship. In 1999, Walz agreed to be the faculty advisor of Mankato West High School's first gay–straight alliance . He felt it was important that as a married, heterosexual football coach and soldier, he could show how different worlds can coexist. For nine years he and his wife ran Educational Travel Adventures, which organized summer educational trips to China for high-school students. Walz earned

869-468: A goal of 20% electric vehicles as a share of all cars in Minnesota by 2030. Some environmentalists have criticized the state government for a lax approach to regulatory capture in the agricultural and iron processing sectors. In 2023, Walz signed a bipartisan $ 2.6 billion infrastructure spending package that funded numerous union construction jobs focused on repairing roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. Other projects funded included

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948-551: A law requiring Minnesota to obtain all of its electricity from wind, solar, and other carbon-free sources by 2040, phasing out the climate-warming pollution generated by coal and gas-fired power plants, in addition to a variety of other measures to preserve and expand peatlands , forests, pollinator habitats, electric vehicle charger networks, access to home weatherization, embedded emissions cuts in buildings, green banking , and green-collar worker apprenticeships. "As I sign this legislation, communities from one end of our state to

1027-460: A limited ban on police from using chokeholds . It bans "warrior training", which dehumanized people, and includes training for peace officers for dealing with people with autism or in a mental health crisis and deescalation training for situations that could turn volatile. It also created a special independent unit at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for investigations of fatal police encounters and

1106-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 43.2 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

1185-448: A moderate from Day One, built an office centered on constituent service and carved out a niche as a tireless advocate for veterans." Walz was reelected in 2008 with 62% of the vote, becoming only the second non-Republican to win a second full term in the district. He won a third term in 2010 with 49% of the vote in a three-way race against Republican state representative Randy Demmer and independent former diplomat Steve Wilson. He

1264-563: A new fire hall in Dilworth, Minnesota , a water treatment plant in Mankato, and $ 78 million for the state veterans' home in Hastings, Minnesota . Soon afterward, Walz signed into law HF2887, which provides $ 9 billion over the long term to transportation projects, including reforms to climate impact considerations and transit infrastructure permitting. In May 2024, Walz signed and implemented

1343-400: A seventh term in 2018 , instead running for governor. Swearing in at the beginning of the 110th Congress , Walz became the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress, as well as only the fourth Democrat/DFLer to represent his district. The others were Thomas Wilson (1887–1889), William Harries (1891–1893), and Tim Penny (1983–1995). Even as he represented

1422-541: A six-term incumbent. During the campaign, Walz accused Gutknecht of extending tax cuts to "Wall Street" and sought to tie Gutknecht to President George W. Bush . A centerpiece of Walz's campaign was opposition to the Iraq War , as the war's popularity was declining that year. Walz won the election with 53% of the vote. After his victory, Politico said Gutknecht had been caught "off guard" and Walz had "resolved never to get caught like that himself.... He packaged himself as

1501-442: 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 Donald Trump and JD Vance on November 5, 2024 . Timothy James Walz

1580-472: Is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ) is water. West Point lies on the eastern bank of the Elkhorn River . As of the census of 2010, there were 3,364 people, 1,432 households, and 899 families living in the city. The population density was 1,236.8 inhabitants per square mile (477.5/km ). There were 1,580 housing units at an average density of 580.9 per square mile (224.3/km ). The racial makeup of

1659-573: Is on record supporting legislation to lower tuition costs. In a February 2009 speech, he said that the most important thing to do "to ensure a solid base for [America's] economic future ... is to provide the best education possible for [American] children." Walz has received strong backing for these policies from many interest groups, including the National Education Association , the American Association of University Women , and

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1738-540: Is the only place where those weapons are at." The use of the phrase "in war" on this one occasion was criticized by Vance. The Harris campaign responded that Walz "misspoke". Walz became first active in politics in August 2004, when he volunteered for John Kerry 's presidential campaign . He was inspired to volunteer in the presidential election after he took a group of students to a George W. Bush rally in Mankato , and

1817-413: The 2018 special election for the U.S. Senate seat held by Al Franken , even though Walz had already announced his campaign for governor. He declined to run and endorsed Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith after she launched her campaign for the seat. In March 2017, after Mark Dayton , the incumbent governor, chose not to seek another term, Walz announced he would run for governor. His main opponent in

1896-476: The American Enterprise Institute , Minnesota schools remained remote longer than the national average during the 2020–21 school year. Malkus ranked Minnesota 19th out of 50 states for the duration of remote learning, adjusted for student enrollment. Between 2017 and 2022, Minnesota fourth-graders' test scores decreased from 10 points above the national average to 4 points above. In 2023, Walz and

1975-518: The Dalai Lama and served on a commission monitoring human-rights in China. During the 2013 federal government shutdown , Walz chose not to accept his congressional pay, instead donating it to hunger-relief organizations. He accused the political Tea Party movement of contributing to the shutdown, calling it "reckless" and "completely avoidable". "No one should be patting themselves on the back about doing

2054-595: The G.I. Bill ; he wanted his son to have the same opportunity. Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years after enlisting in 1981. During his military career, he had postings in Arkansas , Texas , near the Arctic Circle in Norway; New Ulm, Minnesota , northwest of Mankato; Italy, and elsewhere. He trained in heavy artillery . During his service he worked in disaster response postings following floods and tornadoes and

2133-578: The Hatch Act , which forbids some political activities by federal government employees. The Minnesota National Guard confirmed that Walz retired two months before his former unit was notified on July 14 of its potential deployment to Iraq. That unit received its mobilization order in August and deployed to Iraq in March 2006, ten months after Walz retired. During his political career, Republicans, notably Donald Trump Jr. , Charlie Kirk , and JD Vance , have used

2212-474: The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The program will support and train special education teachers in over 35 districts, charter schools, and cooperatives. Walz said: As a former classroom teacher for over 20 years, I understand the impact a dedicated teacher can have on their students' lives. By investing in our special education workforce, we can help ensure every student in Minnesota receives

2291-688: The Republican nominee, Hennepin County commissioner Jeff Johnson , 53.84% to 42.43%. Walz sought reelection in 2022. He won the August 9 Democratic primary and faced Republican nominee Scott Jensen in the November general election . On November 8, 2022, Walz defeated Jensen, 52.3% to 44.6%. Walz was sworn in as governor of Minnesota on January 7, 2019, at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul. He took

2370-544: The county seat of Cuming County, Nebraska , United States. The population was 3,504 at the 2020 census . West Point was founded in the spring of 1857, when Omaha businessmen formed the Nebraska Settlement Association in order to find suitable townsites in the Elkhorn Valley. Uriah, John, and Andrew Bruner (three brothers originally from Pennsylvania), and William Sexauer chose the present location on

2449-662: The ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee from 2017 to 2019. Walz 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

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2528-485: The "Government to Government Relationship with Tribal Governments" bill, which codified the order into state law. In 2022, Walz appointed attorney Tadd Johnson to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, the first Native American appointed to the board since it was established. In August 2023, Walz signed an education bill that included education of Indigenous cultural heritage for all students. In September, he signed

2607-466: The Bush administration's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq in 2007. But he voted in favor of a bill in May of that year that provided nearly $ 95 billion in funding for the war through September 30. Walz explained that his vote was to ensure the safety of American troops while also saying he would continue to negotiate a process to pull troops from Iraq. He reiterated his support for ending

2686-548: The Democratic primary was originally state representative Erin Murphy , who won the state party endorsement at the party's convention in June 2018. Shortly thereafter, state attorney general Lori Swanson entered the race late in the campaign. Walz defeated Murphy and Swanson in the August primary election with a 41.60% plurality. On November 6, 2018, he was elected governor , defeating

2765-612: The Elkhorn River damaged sections of the track. With freight traffic declining and flooding damage, the C&;NW filed a request with the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line. Permission was granted a short time later, leaving the tracks with a dismal future. Plans were made to revive railroad service from the newly formed Fremont & Elkhorn Valley Railroad , who purchased the abandoned C&NW track. However,

2844-573: The Elkhorn Valley during a hunting excursion and, displeased to find white settlers in the valley, burned several homesteads and killed livestock. The so-called Pawnee War ended near Battle Creek without a fight. West Point grew slowly at first, but with the coming of the railroad in 1870, it boomed to a population of over 700. By the mid-1970s, the future of railroad service came into question. The Chicago & North Western tracks had been experiencing declining freight traffic volumes. Revenue railroad service ended in spring of 1982, when flooding from

2923-574: The Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act, which he called "part of our long-term economic blueprint to spur job creation by encouraging America's entrepreneurs to innovate toward breakthrough technological advancements". Walz urged assistance for hog and dairy farmers who struggled with lower prices for their commodities in 2008 and 2009. Voting for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , Walz pointed to its strong provisions in support of public school buildings. He

3002-531: The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy , which ranks members of Congress by measuring how often their bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and how often they co-sponsor bills by members of the opposite party. In early 2015, he endorsed the candidacy of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries . In 2017, Walz was floated as a possible candidate for

3081-516: The Minnesota National Guard in 2018 said it was "legitimate for Walz to say he served as a command sergeant major". A reference to Walz on his official campaign website as a "retired command sergeant major" was later updated to read he "once served at the command sergeant major rank". Walz did not deploy to an active combat zone during his service. At a meeting about reducing gun violence in 2018, he argued for some kinds of reform, saying, "We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war

3160-589: The Minnesota National Guard to Vicenza , Italy, for nine months, to serve with the European Security Force as part of Operation Enduring Freedom . He attained the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service and briefly was the senior enlisted soldier of 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment . Walz's decorations include the Army Commendation Medal , two Army Achievement Medals , two National Defense Service Medals ,

3239-756: The National Association of Elementary School Principals. In February 2008, Walz endorsed the candidacy of Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries . During the Obama administration , he voted to advance the Affordable Care Act out of the House. Walz was a significant supporter of the STOCK Act , which bans congressional insider trading . Obama signed it into law in April 2012. Walz also met with

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3318-585: The Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which banned state agencies from "enforcing out-of-state subpoenas, arrest warrants, and extradition requests" for people who travel to Minnesota for legal abortion, limited the release of related health records, and cut funding for crisis pregnancy centers , organizations established by anti-abortion groups primarily to persuade pregnant women not to have abortions that often share inaccurate or misleading medical information. In early 2023, Walz signed

3397-488: The San Francisco Bay Area continue under the name California Campus Camp . Tim Walz Timothy James Walz ( / w ɔː l z / ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, former educator, and retired United States Army non-commissioned officer who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota . He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019, and

3476-562: The U.S., Walz became a teacher and coach in Alliance , a town of 10,000 in western Nebraska, and in 1993 was named an Outstanding Young Nebraskan by the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce . While working as a teacher, Walz met his wife, Gwen Whipple , a fellow teacher, and in 1994 the two married. Two years later, they moved to Mankato, Minnesota , in Gwen's home state. Walz worked as

3555-653: The United States from Kuppenheim , Germany. One of his grandmothers was Swedish American , and one of his great-grandmothers was Irish American . He was raised Catholic . Walz and his three siblings grew up in Valentine, Nebraska , a small rural town in the north-central part of the state, in an area of farms and ranchland near the South Dakota border. In school, he played football and basketball and ran track. After school, he went hunting with his friends. While Walz

3634-405: The average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in

3713-463: The basic work of government", Walz said. In 2016, he voted to condemn UN Security Council Resolution 2334 , which called the building of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories a violation of international law. Walz was ranked the 7th-most bipartisan House member during the 114th Congress (and the most bipartisan member from Minnesota) in the Bipartisan Index created by

3792-443: The bill's passage, saying: "The bill we voted on today passes the buck when it comes to recouping the losses taxpayers might suffer. I also regret that this bill does not do enough to help average homeowners, or provide sufficient oversight of Wall Street." In December 2008, Walz voted against the bill that offered $ 14 billion in government loans to bail out the country's large automobile manufacturers. In June 2009, he introduced

3871-544: The city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 3,660 people, 1,432 households, and 946 families living in the city. The population density was 1,479.2 inhabitants per square mile (571.1/km ). There were 1,552 housing units at an average density of 627.3 per square mile (242.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 92.02% White , 0.22% African American , 0.41% Native American , 0.16% Asian , 5.74% from other races , and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.02% of

3950-446: The city was 87.7% White , 0.3% African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.3% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 10.3% from other races , and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.8% of the population. There were 1,432 households, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had

4029-600: The costs were too high to revive railroad service, and the tracks were removed in 1988. On August 26, 2019, the DHHS announced that the city's water was unsafe to drink after a year of complaints from citizens of the town. The maximum safe level of manganese for infants had been exceeded by over 700 micrograms per mL. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.73 square miles (7.07 km ), of which 2.72 square miles (7.04 km )

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4108-827: The creation of a Cannabis Management Office to develop and implement the "regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis" in Minnesota. On May 30, 2023, he signed into law House File 100 to legalize recreational cannabis in Minnesota , which went into effect on August 1, 2023. In June 2024, Walz signed the Minnesota Debt Fairness Act. Among other things, the act prevents health care providers from denying medically necessary treatment because of outstanding medical debt and prevents medical debt from affecting credit scores. In 2019, Walz issued Executive Order 19-24, which requires state agencies to create and implement tribal consultation policies to guide their interaction with tribal nations in Minnesota. In November 2021, he signed

4187-674: The financial activities of the organization. There was also a dispute over the direction and priorities of the group. Following the removal of Wellstone's sons from the organization's board of directors, Wellstone Action was rebranded as "re:power". Wellstone Action began by organizing "Camp Wellstone" events to train political novices in how to run for elected office. Between 2003 and 2013, approximately 55,000 participants graduated from Camp Wellstone trainings. "Campus Camp Wellstone" events were also held at colleges, beginning at Carleton College , where Wellstone had previously taught. The Campus Camp Wellstone series organized at De Anza College in

4266-462: The oath of office alongside the incoming lieutenant governor , Peggy Flanagan ; Minnesota secretary of state Steve Simon ; Minnesota state auditor Julie Blaha ; and Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison , all Democrats . Walz spoke about education and healthcare reform in his inauguration speech. Later in 2019, President Donald Trump appointed Walz to the bipartisan Council of Governors ; in 2021 President Joe Biden appointed Walz as

4345-424: The other are looking at months of rebuilding after an extreme weather event exacerbated by climate change", Walz said in June, after catastrophic flooding devastated parts of the state. "This is a measure that will help protect our environment and get the clean energy projects that are going to help fight climate change in motion." Walz implemented California's stricter tailpipe emissions standards for cars, and set

4424-829: The package, Walz helped make permanent a funding program to supplement child care worker wages by $ 316 million. He signed a bill that gave all students free school meals regardless of income. Also in 2023, Walz signed into law the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (the READ Act), with the goal to have "every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals." In August 2024, Walz had announced nearly $ 10 million to support Minnesota's special education workforce with The Education Pipeline grants, awarded by

4503-408: The population. There were 1,432 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and

4582-650: The return of parts of Upper Sioux Agency State Park land to the Upper Sioux Community . In December, Walz became the first Minnesota governor to visit all 11 tribal nations in the state . In 2024, he appointed Melanie Benjamin of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Johnny Johnson of the Prairie Island Indian Community to the nine-member Minnesota Racing Commission. The 93rd Minnesota Legislature , in session from January 2023 to May 2024,

4661-409: The session "one of the most consequential" ever in Minnesota; Walz called it the "most productive session in Minnesota history". While Walz signed almost all legislation passed by the legislature, he vetoed a bill intended to increase pay for rideshare drivers, his first veto as governor, saying that it did not strike the right balance. West Point, Nebraska West Point is a city in and

4740-409: The state legislature approved increased spending on K-12 and early education. At the end of the 2023 legislative session, he signed a bill allocating $ 2.2 billion in additional funding for K-12 education, amounting to about $ 400 more per student annually than previous levels. The bill also linked state education funding to inflation, addressing a long-standing request by school administrators. With

4819-545: The stimulus bill as an opportunity to work "with his congressional colleagues to make job creation through investment in public infrastructure like roads, bridges and clean energy the cornerstone of the economic recovery plan". Walz has focused heavily on job and economic issues important to the southern Minnesota district he represented in Congress, which has a mix of larger employers such as the Mayo Clinic and small businesses and agricultural interests. In July 2009, he voted for

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4898-476: The support they need to thrive in their education. Walz advocated for the legalization of recreational cannabis as governor of Minnesota. As a candidate for governor in 2017, he said: "We have an opportunity in Minnesota to replace the current failed policy with one that creates tax revenue, grows jobs, builds opportunities for Minnesotans, protects Minnesota kids, and trusts adults to make personal decisions based on their personal freedoms." In 2022, he proposed

4977-426: The timing of Walz's military retirement as a smear campaign that has been compared to swiftboating . A National Guard colleague, Joe Eustice, recalled that at the time Walz retired, his unit's deployment was only a "rumor" and not yet confirmed, while his enlisted superior, Doug Julin, said that Walz bypassed his retirement approval, instead receiving retirement approval from two higher-ranked officers. Though he

5056-419: The video of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd 's neck "disturbing". Walz elaborated, "The lack of humanity in this disturbing video is sickening. We will get answers and seek justice". In response to riots in Minnesota, Walz partially activated the Minnesota National Guard on May 28, and fully activated it on May 30. President Trump reacted to Walz's actions by saying that he

5135-459: The war in October, and called on those who opposed the war to "have their voice be heard". During the economic crisis in 2008 , Walz repeatedly spoke out against using taxpayer money to bail out financial institutions; in late September, he voted against the $ 700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program bill, which purchased troubled assets from these institutions. Walz released a statement after

5214-463: The widespread protests following Floyd's murder. He later responded to the murder by ordering the Minnesota legislature to reconvene for special sessions on legislation for police reform and accountability. After police reform failed to pass the first special session in June, a second special session was held in July. On July 21, the legislature passed police reform legislation. The compromise law includes

5293-532: The work of their parents, Paul Wellstone and Sheila Wellstone . On February 10, 2005, Walz filed to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 1st congressional district . The district consisted mostly of Republican-leaning independents . He had no opponent for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) nomination in the 2006 primary election. In the general election , he faced Republican Gil Gutknecht ,

5372-576: Was "very happy" and that he did "fully agree with the way [Walz] handled it ... what [the Minnesota National Guard] did in Minneapolis was incredible". Trump called Walz an "excellent guy". Trump also publicly claimed credit for deploying the Minnesota National Guard; Walz's office said Trump had no impact on Walz's deployments of the Guard. Several Republicans criticized Walz's initial response to

5451-418: 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 before he was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and reelected in 2022 . During his second gubernatorial term, he pushed for and signed

5530-538: Was an honor student. He graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in social science education. After graduating from Chadron State College, Walz accepted a one-year teaching position with WorldTeach at Foshan No.1 High School in Guangdong , China. He went to teach in August 1989, following the Tiananmen Square protests and subsequent government crackdown in June of that year. Upon returning to

5609-507: Was angered by the security team's questioning of his students' politics after they saw a Kerry sticker on a student's wallet. He was appointed the Kerry campaign's coordinator for his county as well as a district coordinator of Vets for Kerry. In January 2005, Walz completed the three-day campaigns and elections crash course at Camp Wellstone, a program run by Wellstone Action , the nonprofit organization Mark and David Wellstone created to carry on

5688-515: Was appointed to the Armed Services Committee . In his first week as a legislator, Walz cosponsored a bill to raise the minimum wage , voted for stem cell research, voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices, and voiced support for pay-as-you-go budget rules, requiring that new spending or tax changes not add to the federal deficit. An opponent of the Iraq war, Walz opposed

5767-470: Was born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska , at Memorial Hospital. His mother, Darlene Rose Reiman, was a homemaker and grew up on a farm. His father, James Frederick Walz, was a teacher and school superintendent who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War , and had worked in the family's butcher shop as a child. Tim is of German, Swedish, Luxembourgish , and Irish descent; in 1867 his great-great-grandfather Sebastian Walz emigrated to

5846-498: Was deployed overseas. In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year. After Walz completed the 20 years of service needed to retire from the Guard, he reenlisted instead of retiring, later citing the September 11, 2001 attacks as the reason for his reenlistment. He was able to retire as of August 2002, according to the National Guard. In August 2003, he deployed with

5925-667: Was devastated and drifted from Nebraska to Texas , where he took courses at the University of Houston in East Asian studies and served in the Texas Army National Guard . Then he went to Jonesboro , in northeast Arkansas , where he built tanning beds in a factory and was an instructor in the Arkansas Army National Guard . Walz returned to Nebraska in 1987 to continue his education at Chadron State College ; he participated in student government there and

6004-629: Was in high school, his father, who was the school superintendent and a chain smoker , was diagnosed with lung cancer . After his father's diagnosis, his family moved to the rural farming community of Butte, Nebraska to be closer to his mother's relatives. During summers, Walz worked on the family farm. He graduated from Butte High School in 1982 in a class of 25 students and then went to Chadron, Nebraska for college. Walz's father died in January 1984, leaving his mother and younger brother dependent on Social Security survivor benefits for support. He

6083-399: Was reelected by comfortable margins in 2012 and 2014 . In 2016 , Walz was narrowly reelected to a sixth term, defeating Republican Jim Hagedorn , who later succeeded Walz as congressman, by 0.7% (or 2,548 votes), even as his district overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in the concurrent presidential election . After that, and as his district trended more Republican, Walz did not seek

6162-523: Was serving as a command sergeant major at the time of his retirement, Walz's final military rank for retirement benefit purposes is master sergeant , as he had not completed the required academic coursework to remain a command sergeant major before his retirement. The National Guard processed the adjustment of his rank in September 2005, but the effective date was made retroactive to the day before his military retirement in May 2005. A public affairs officer for

6241-456: Was the first legislature to be fully Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party -controlled since the 88th Minnesota Legislature in 2013–2015. It passed several major reforms to Minnesota law, including requiring paid leave , banning noncompete agreements , cannabis legalization, and environmental issues, tax modifications, codifying abortion rights , universal free school meals , and universal gun background checks . The Star Tribune called

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