Tim Walz, a politician, teacher, and National Guard member was born April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska. Raised in small-town Nebraska, Walz graduated from a public high school, followed by attending Chadron State College and also has a degree from what is now known as Minnesota State University in Mankato.
As a teacher, Walz taught social studies and civics in Nebraska and Minnesota. He also coached high school football.
Walz was a member of the Army National Guard, achieving a high rank for an enlisted member before retiring in 2005 after 24 years.
Walz was elected as a Democrat in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in 2006 and reelected to five more terms. He won Minnesota governorship in 2018 and reelected in 2022. He also is currently chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
An all-Democratic power structure at Minnesota’s Capitol in recent years has given Walz the ability to deliver a stream of policies celebrated in progressive circles, ranging from abortion protections to universal school meals to marijuana legalization. But his tenure includes stumbles and challenges – from dealing with COVID-19 disruptions to unrest sparked by George Floyd’s murder to suggestions his administration hasn’t always been attentive to where tax dollars go.
More recent Walz audio highlights of can be found at https://www.mprnews.org/politics/tim-walz and the MPR News homepage https://www.mprnews.org/
February 21, 2007 - MPR’s Mark Steil reports on local discussions on federal farm dollars and how subsidies are spent. Southern Minnesota farmers told Minnesota 1st District Representative Tim Walz they want changes made in the legislation to help small farmers. The meeting in Worthington is one of several Walz will hold. It's a discussion which touches just about anyone who owns farmland anywhere in the U.S.
March 7, 2007 - Minnesota 1st District Representative Tim Walz, a member of the House Veterans Affairs committee, reacts to revelations about the medical care of wounded soldiers in the wake of the Walter Reed Medical Center scandal.
April 9, 2007 - Minnesota 1st District U.S. Representative Tim Walz has made a name for himself in his first 100 days. Insiders say he's become an influential Democratic voice in Washington on veterans and the war in Iraq.
April 13, 2007 - On this Midday program, a broadcast of speech by U.S. Representative Tim Walz, who represents Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in the southern part of the state. Walz says America's foreign policy has become so focused on the goal of security that it has given short shrift to other important goals like human rights. He argues for a broader view of foreign policy and a departure from the "dichotomies" of American politics.
April 18, 2007 - All Thing Considered’s Tom Crann talks with Minnesota 1st District Representative Tim Walz about one of the deadliest days of the Iraq war in months after troop surge. The two discuss Iraq timelines, political solutions, funding of military, and Katrina recovery aid.
December 20, 2007 - Two of Minnesota's freshman congressmen, Tim Walz and Keith Ellison, discuss what surprised them, what made them proud, and what they found disappointing about their first year in Washington D.C.
January 17, 2008 - Midmorning’s Kerri Miller speaks with Minnesota lawmakers Tim Walz and Michele Bachmann, who both spent time in Afghanistan and Iraq this winter, surveying Minnesota's role in war. Walz and Bachmann share their different experiences and takeaways.
April 9, 2008 - MPR’s Perri Finelli talks with U.S. Congressman Tim Walz about a process underway in Washington that'll determine where billions of your tax dollars will be spent…called earmarking. That's where local projects get funding from the federal government. The number of earmarks has grown over the years.... and the projects have been criticized as pork.
April 9, 2008 - MPR’s Sea Stachura profiles 1st District Congressman Tim Walz as he prepares to run for re-election. The Republican Party thinks 1st District Congressman Tim Walz is one of the country's vulnerable freshman Democrats. One analyst says Walz has inoculated himself against a Republican challenger. But will it be enough this November?
June 7, 2008 - As part of MPR Special Coverage, a recording of U.S. Representative Tim Walz speaking at DFL State Convention. Walz highlights a pen that he carries as a metaphor for his efforts as a legislator.