Photo by Aaron Watts

By Jackson Greenleaf

CHICAGO – Tim Walz, the running mate of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president, delivered a heartfelt speech as he accepted the nomination for Vice President of the United States. Walz, a former high school teacher and governor of Minnesota, expressed deep gratitude to President Joe Biden for his leadership and thanked supporters for their dedication.

Walz shared his unlikely journey into politics. He started as a 40-something high school teacher with no political experience, running in a deep red congressional district.

“But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher,” Walz stated, emphasizing the resilience and determination that defined his career.

During his 12 years in Congress, Walz learned to work across the aisle on critical issues like rural economic development and veterans’ care.

He spoke about how he mastered the art of compromise without sacrificing his core values. Upon returning to Minnesota as governor in 2018, Walz immediately focused on enacting policies that directly impacted the lives of his constituents.

Walz highlighted several of his key achievements as governor, including cutting taxes for the middle class, passing paid family and medical leave, investing in crime prevention and affordable housing, and reducing the cost of prescription drugs.

He passionately described his administration’s efforts to eliminate hunger in schools: “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours.”

Walz also underscored Minnesota’s commitment to protecting reproductive freedom and respecting personal choices, encapsulating this with a straightforward principle: “Mind your own damn business.”

He shared how deeply personal this issue is for him and his wife, Gwen, especially regarding infertility treatments.

“If you’ve never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you know somebody who has,” Walz said.

In his speech, Walz embodied the values of public service, unity, and progressive action, signaling his readiness to bring these principles to the national stage as he campaigns alongside Kamala Harris.

Copy Edited by Journalism Department Chair, Ron Thomas