Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Tim Walz, a Midwestern governor, Army veteran and former football coach and teacher, as her 2024 running mate after a hectic and rigorous two-week vetting process.
Walz, 60, is a veteran politician who served in the U.S. Congress from 2007 to 2019 and was elected governor of Minnesota, defeating Republican Jeff Johnson. In 2022, he was re-elected to a second term, beating a challenge from Republican Scott Jensen.
Progressives praise Walz for his strong support for labor unions and his record as governor, including enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution, instituting free school lunches for all students regardless of income and making Minnesota a haven for children seeking transgender medical procedures.
This strong progressive record and Walz’s outspoken demeanor are reportedly a big hit with the Harris campaign, which was looking for a partner who could bolster the Democratic candidate’s strength in Midwestern battleground states. But there have been several controversies surrounding Walz’s tenure as governor that Republicans have already begun to use to attack his record.
Vice President Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris (Getty Images)
Here are some examples:
1995 DUI arrest
Walz has tried to downplay his drunk driving arrest in the mid-’90s in past campaigns, but questions about his run-ins with police still dog him. Report by AlphaNews Court records have been unearthed that cast doubt on the story Walz told during the campaign.
On September 23, 1995, Waltz was working as a teacher in his home state of Nebraska when he was stopped by police for going 96 miles per hour on a road with a 55 mph speed limit.
Walz’s campaign told reporters in 2006 that he was “not intoxicated” and that the “misunderstanding” with police was due to “Walz’s hearing loss,” which his then-campaign manager said he had since “surgery corrected.”
However, a state trooper report obtained by AlphaNews contradicts these claims.
“A strong odor of alcoholic beverages was detected coming from Mr. Waltz.[‘s] “Breath and human body,” the report states. Officers noted Waltz failed field sobriety and preliminary breath tests. Waltz was ultimately transported to Chadron Hospital for a blood test and then booked into the Dawes County Jail.
Waltz was initially charged with DUI and speeding, but pleaded guilty to one count of reckless driving, according to Aplha News.
Most Americans have never heard of Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate.
A protester holds a sign in support of the Black Lives Matter movement as he stands next to a burning car during the third day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, May 28, 2020. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Black Lives Matter Riots
Walz’s critics say his response to the Minneapolis riots after the 2020 killing of George Floyd was a misstep and a low point of his first term as governor.
“[H]”He’s been a disaster for Minnesota and the most partisan governor we’ve had in as long as I can remember,” Minnesota Republican Party Chairman David Hahn told Fox News Digital. “Looking back at 2020, certainly he didn’t try to stop the riots that were happening in Minneapolis. I think he was afraid of alienating his ‘progressive’ base that supported the riots. Kamala Harris was raising money for the rioters.”
Governor Walz has deployed the National Guard to try to stop the violence, including the burning of police stations, but Republican lawmakers have criticized the governor and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for moving too late.
Republican state Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka criticized Governor Walz’s slow response to the riots that devastated a downtown Minneapolis shopping district.
“I called the White House. [four] The riots continued for days because the governor didn’t know what to do,” Gazelka wrote to X on July 28.[.] Waltz and the Press[ident] Trump spoke. I know Waltz ended up sending out the full Guard the next night. But Waltz [three] It was a few days too late. Maybe the pressure made him move.”
Hann similarly said Walz “waited three days before asking for the National Guard.” He also said he was a vocal supporter of the defund the police movement. Minnesota Roots in the wake of Floyd’s killing and the subsequent riots in the Twin Cities.
The delayed response resulted in devastating damage to hundreds of businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul, forcing them to turn to local governments for help with recovery. Pandemic-related closures.
Walz’s response to Black Lives Matter riots and strict coronavirus measures come under scrutiny after Harris is selected as vice president
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks about funding for the I-535 Blatnick Bridge at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, on January 25, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
COVID-19 Lockdown
During his first term as governor, Walz oversaw Minnesota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other Democratic leaders, Walz supported strict pandemic restrictions, including lockdowns and mask mandates.
The Upper Midwest Law Center lost its 2020 challenge to the indoor mask mandate as unconstitutional, but an appeals court sided with Walz.
Governor Walz also set up a hotline for residents to report any residents who are violating COVID-19 restrictions. FOX 9 Minneapolis reported at that time.
Gazelka said to Waltz, [the] “The hotline is down,” he said in a post after the hotline was launched, calling the move “unnecessary.”
“While we all manage our own time and needs differently during our stay-at-home efforts, we can all show a little kindness to our neighbors,” the state senator said at the time.
Bags of cash don’t stop jury from convicting five defendants in $40 million food fraud case
Federal prosecutors have charged 70 people with defrauding $250 million from federal food programs that provide meals to children during the pandemic during Gov. Walz’s term. (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota via The Associated Press)
Pandemic Relief Fraud Investigation
In addition to complaints about Walz’s pandemic-era restrictions, Republicans have accused the governor of lacking oversight of pandemic relief programs that cost millions of taxpayer dollars.
Federal prosecutors charged 70 people under former Governor Walz with defrauding $250 million from federal food programs meant to feed children during the pandemic. Known as the “Feeding Our Future” scandal, it is the nation’s largest case of pandemic aid fraud. The Legislative Audit Office, a nonpartisan watchdog, released a scathing report in June saying Walz’s Department of Education “failed to address warning signs,” did not exercise its authority effectively, and was ill-prepared to respond.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Governor Tim Walz speaks before President Biden on Nov. 1, 2023, at Dutch Creek Farm in Northfield, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
Police Intervention in Shootings
Walz came under fire earlier this year from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty over comments he made about police shootings handled by his office.
In June, Judge Moriarty dismissed the case against Minnesota State Police Officer Ryan Londregan, who was accused of shooting and killing a black motorist, Ricky Cobb II. At the press conference announcing the ruling, Judge Moriarty criticized Judge Waltz for “actively intervening in this case” and said he was conflicted because Judge Waltz oversees the Minnesota State Police. FOX 9 Minneapolis-Saint Paul reported..
“Have you ever seen the governor intervene in a case involving the defendant during his tenure,” Moriarty said June 3. “Why is it appropriate for a governor who has never taken a call, is not an attorney and does not understand the nuances of this case to speak publicly about this? To center Mr. Londregan as the victim in this case. Why is that appropriate? Why wasn’t that pointed out?”
Walz later told reporters that if Moriarty had not dropped the charges against Londregan, he would have used his administrative powers to remove her from the case.
“I would have preferred that the county attorney be in this position … and certainly at some point we would have done that if this decision hadn’t been made,” Walz said.
The Hennepin County Prosecutor’s Office denied that rumors that Waltz intended to transfer the case influenced Moriarty’s decision.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
