The Economic Mind of Tim Walz

In recent weeks, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz burst from relative obscurity to co-headlining the Democratic presidential ticket. Walz’s career rocket launch was fueled by his cutting political rhetoric, folksy midwestern charm, jovial dad vibes, and progressive principles and accomplishments.

Before Walz was governor and a vice presidential candidate, he wore many hats. He was a congressman, a high school teacher, a union member, a command sergeant major in the Army National Guard, a state-championship-winning high school football coach. One hat he did not wear: lawyer. That makes him, according to The Economist, “the first non-lawyer to be on the Democratic ticket since 1980.”

While in Congress, Walz represented a conservative district that had elected only one other Democratic representative in the previous century. The conservative makeup of that district might help explain why he took political positions that are rare for Democrats, including supporting gun rights (he had an “A” rating from the NRA) and the Keystone XL pipeline, which progressive lawmakers and environmentalists opposed because of its likely environmental impacts. Despite representing a conservative district, however, Walz was also an early supporter of same-sex marriage. He also has a long history of taking populist, progressive positions on a host of economic policies, from trade to corporate bailouts.

While not as dramatic as the political transformation of his electoral counterpart JD Vance, Walz too had a political transformation over the last decade. As governor, Walz established a more progressive record than his time as a congressman, including on gun control and fighting climate change.

As governor, Walz prioritized economic issues — including