Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz rose to national prominence this week after Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her 2024 running mate to challenge former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
His past quickly became a focus of interest: An arrest warrant photo obtained by Fox News Digital shows the vice presidential nominee moments after being stopped by state troopers in Nebraska in 1995 for speeding and drunk driving.
According to the Dawes County Sheriff’s Office, Waltz was stopped and arrested by state police on Sept. 23, 1995, on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Kamala Harris’ VP candidate Tim Walz charged with DUI in Nebraska
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, is pictured in a 1995 arrest warrant photo taken after his arrest for drunk driving in Dawes County, Nebraska. (Dawes County Sheriff’s Office)
According to court documents, Waltz, who was 28 years old and a high school teacher and football coach at the time, was speeding more than 80 miles per hour. He failed a breath test with a blood alcohol content of 0.128. The limit at the time was 0.1 in many parts of the country, including Nebraska, but is now 0.08.
He failed a field sobriety test, but his lawyers argued that the incident was caused by his client’s poor hearing and the state trooper’s failure to turn on his siren sooner.
“It was a little strange,” his lawyer, Russell Harford, argued in court, and Waltz believed “someone was following him.”
Vice President Harris picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, appeared on stage together at a campaign event at Girard College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 6, 2024. Harris selected the 60-year-old Midwestern governor over other candidates, ending weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
He was booked into the county jail but later released on bail. The case ended with a plea bargain, in which Waltz pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving.
Waltz, now 60, paid a $200 fine and reportedly no longer drinks alcohol.
It’s official: Vice President Kamala Harris officially wins the Democratic presidential nomination
Harris named Waltz as her running mate on Tuesday, making him a leading contender for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination after incumbent President Joe Biden dropped out of the race following dismal debate performances, disappointing polls and concerns about his ability to continue leading the country.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz listens to President Joe Biden speak at Dutch Creek Farm on Nov. 1, 2023 in Northfield, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnick)
Walz, a Nebraska native and longtime National Guardsman, was elected to the House of Representatives after a career in education. He was sworn in as Minnesota’s governor in 2019 and is up for reelection in 2022.
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Fox News’ Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.
