For a moment earlier this year, Tim Walz was one of the best-kept secrets among vice-presidential candidates. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, kept her running mate private for a few days after she announced her presidential bid, but unveiled the secret at a rally in Pennsylvania in early August. Walz, the governor of Minnesota, has appealed to Generation Z nearly as much as Harris has.
Walz, labeled the “cool dad,†has been paired with many memes and TikTok posts, including ones of him speaking about the new Charli XCX album, Brat. The biggest thing, most recently, to push him over the edge in his appeal to Generation Z has been video footage of him calling JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, “weird,†for his stances on education and reproductive rights.
“These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room,†Walz said in a TV interview.
By labeling them as “weird,†Walz’s sense of humor got the attention of Gen Z.
Not only through social media is Tim Walz popular, but also through his policies and beliefs, which in some cases have shifted further left in recent years. Regarding gun control, Walz was listed by Guns and Ammo in its list of “top 20 politicians for gun owners†in 2016. Walz received an “A†rating from the National Rifle Association in his 2016 congressional reelection races, but he received an “F†rating from the NRA during his 2018 gubernatorial race, according to the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. While Walz’s stance on gun control originally seemed more right-leaning, it quickly shifted.
“It’s true. I’m a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner,†Walz tweeted in July. “But I’m also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher. It’s about keeping our kids safe. I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F’s. And I sleep just fine.â€
His stance on gun control shifted after the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting. Additionally, Walz has donated his 2018 campaign contributions from the NRA to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a charity that helps service members injured on duty.
As Minnesota governor, Walz signed a law requiring public schools to offer free menstrual products to all the students who need them. The bill itself has caused ripples in the political field — along with a nickname, “tampon Tim,†that many Democrats have embraced despite Republicans using the nickname in a negative light.
Also appealing to Gen Z: Walz has recently joined TikTok.
“Our campaign is focused on one thing: bringing the stakes of this election directly to the voters who will decide it,†Hannah Flom, Walz’s digital director, told Variety in August. “Getting the Governor up on TikTok ensures that the incredible number of voters on the platform get to see exactly who he is — a teacher, a coach, a veteran, a father and a leader who is, along with VP Harris, doing the hard work to make Americans’ lives better.â€
While vice presidential candidates don’t normally make the headlines, especially among young voters, Walz certainly has.
Emily J. Aguirre is a junior at ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe Prep. Contact her at emjazz19@gmail.com.
The ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history. The collection also includes archival photo galleries.