On July 21, when President Joe Biden announced he would not be running for reelection in the 2024 presidential race, Democrats immediately began to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the hopeful nominee. She was quickly endorsed by multiple Democratic leaders, including former President Barack Obama, and on August 5, she formally became the party’s nominee.
Although it had been a question ever since Biden dropped out, the theories about who Harris would choose as her official running mate reached a fever pitch in the leadup to her official Democratic nomination. People had lots of different opinions about who she should select, but on the morning of August 6, Harris put the questions to rest by announcing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her pick for VP.
Walz grew up in small-town Nebraska, served in the National Guard for 24 years, and later worked as a teacher in China, Nebraska, then finally Minnesota, where he taught geography and coached football before finally getting involved in politics in 2006. Since then, he’s been able to appeal to even the largely conservative audiences of the Midwest, and has paved the way for multiple progressive policies despite a mixed voting population in his state.
Here’s an overview of Walz’s policy stances on some key Gen Z issues.
Reproductive Rights
The topic of reproductive rights is consistently listed as the No. 1 concern for Gen Z voters, according to multiple Her Campus surveys, and Walz is a steadfast repro rights supporter. “Abortion is healthcare,” he said on CNN in March. “I think old white men need to learn how to talk about this a little more. And I think the biggest thing is: Listen to women. Listen to what they’re saying … They’re speaking loudly on the issue, and they’re speaking at the ballot box.”
In 2023, Walz signed a bill that guaranteed Minnesotans a “fundamental right to make autonomous decisions” about reproductive healthcare, including abortions, fertility treatments, and contraception. Although the Minnesota Supreme Court had already moved to protect abortion rights, the new law added further protections in case the ruling were to be reversed, as SCOTUS did with Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Walz also signed a bill legally protecting patients (and their healthcare providers) in the event they travel to Minnesota to get an abortion from another state where abortion is illegal.
Gun Violence
Although he was once backed by the NRA — and even included on the pro-gun group’s 2016 list of top 20 politicians for gun owners — Walz has been outspoken for tighter gun restrictions ever since the Parkland High School shooting in February of 2018.
“This is about bringing in responsible gun owners who understand something’s got to be done,” he told the Star Tribune about his proposal to ban assault weapons following Parkland.
In 2023, Walz signed historic gun control measures into law, including universal background checks and a red flag law that allows law enforcement to step in when someone is at high risk for injuring themselves or someone else with a firearm.
“As a veteran, gun-owner, hunter, and dad, I know basic gun safety isn’t a threat to the Second Amendment — it’s about keeping our kids safe,” he said in his public statement about the measures. “There’s no place for weapons of war in our schools, churches, banks, or anywhere else people are just trying to live their lives.”
He also celebrated when the NRA revoked its support of him, downgrading him to an “F” rating.
Climate Change
Walz’s administration has set a goal for Minnesota to rely on 100% renewable energy by 2040, and he has directed officials to prioritize the creation of renewable energy facilities. Walz has also stated he wants 20% of the cars on the road in Minnesota to be electric by 2030, and wants the state as a whole to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Additionally, he recently announced a $200 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions in the food system, such as in farming and supermarkets.
LGBTQ+ Rights
As a teacher, Walz was the faculty adviser for Mankato West High School’s first gay-straight alliance in 1999, long before LGBTQ+ rights were nationally protected by Democratic leaders. To this day, Walz is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S.
In 2023, Walz signed a statewide ban on conversion therapy into law. He ran for Congress while openly supporting same-sex marriage seven years before it was legalized in Minnesota. He also advocated for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which banned servicemembers from disclosing their sexual orientation, and he has made Minnesota a refuge for youth seeking gender-affirming healthcare.
Voting Rights
Walz has condemned former President Donald Trump’s attempts to contest the 2020 election results, including his repeated claim that he won Minnesota. “That is an affront to democracy,” Walz said about that claim in May.
Additionally, Walz signed a bill allowing for automatic voter registration and another prohibiting voter suppression, including any action that leads to a “disparate burden” on a minority group, even if that burden is unintentional. This allowed polling locations to open on college campuses and established criminal penalties for using deepfakes to influence elections. In all, he has expanded voting rights to 55,000 Minnesotans. Time will tell if his efforts toward voting rights pays off for him in November.
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