A few months ago, Tim Walz was unknown outside of Minnesota, USA, to a handful of people. But the Minnesota governor is now at the center of discussion in the context of the upcoming presidential election in the United States. He is the running mate of Kamala Harris.

If Democrat Miz Harris wins the US presidential election, Tim Walz will be her vice president.

Walz, 60, used sharp language to target mixed, outspoken and opposition Republicans.

The chapter before his entry into politics is also quite remarkable. Taught in a private school, was a football coach. Joined the US Army at a very young age.

In US politics where 'polarization' is not a new phenomenon, his political experience, wins in Republican-dominated areas and moves to pass left-wing policies as governor of Minnesota are of particular importance.

Teacher, football coach and politician

Tim Walz's family lives in rural Nebraska. Joined the National Guard (state-based paramilitary force) at the age of 17. He was in this volunteer force for 24 years.

His father, was a public school administrator. He was the one who encouraged Tim Walz to join the military. His father died of lung cancer. Walz was 19 years old at the time.

The governor of Minnesota told about his simple life. She tells how Social Security helped her mother, the GI Bill paid for her college education.

Tim Walz, who holds a degree in teaching, undertook a teaching assignment in China for a year. It was around this time that the Tiananmen Square massacre took place.

He later honeymooned there with his wife Gwen Whipple. Also organized summer educational trips to China for US students.

After returning to Nebraska, Walz was employed as a teacher and American football coach. Later his wife, who was a teacher at the same school, brought Tim Walz back to his native Minnesota.

He attended Mankato West High School. Walz helped build the American football program at that school, leading Mankato West High School to its first state championship.

When Walz spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, former members of that team also took the stage. As he addressed the party faithful, he repeatedly spoke of American football.

Tim Walz also won praise for agreeing to be faculty advisor to the Gay-Straight Alliance while teaching. At the time he made this decision, many frowned upon homosexuality.

He ran for the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. This rural region that stretches across southern Minnesota is predominantly agricultural and heavily Republican.

But Walz continued to campaign as a moderate. He mainly emphasized on various issues of public service and veterans. For these reasons, the election results went in his favor.

Attitudes and Beliefs

During Tim Walz's 12 years in Congress, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where his ideology stood.

He voted for the Affordable Care Act, co-sponsored pro-Labor measures including a bill to raise the minimum wage, and supported 'cap-and-trade' efforts to reduce carbon emissions. However, that (cap-and-trade) effort did not succeed.

In some cases, his views coincided with the Republicans.

He voted to continue funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, supported stricter vetting of refugees entering the United States, and tried to stop Obama-era bailouts of banks and auto companies after the 2008 financial crash.

National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed candidate Tim Walz advocated for a ban on assault weapons following the Parkland school shooting. He lost the support of the NRA. The NRA also once donated to his campaign fund.

In 2018, Walz won the Minnesota governor's race by more than 11 points.

But his first term came under fire due to the Covid pandemic and the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Republicans have criticized Tim Walz for delaying the deployment of the National Guard and failing to investigate a $250 million fraud scheme in Minnesota during the Covid-19 pandemic, even as some protests turned violent over the killing of George Floyd.

He then won the re-election by a narrow margin. Walz's second term has been a busy one as Democrats seek to control the Minnesota Legislature by a single seat.

During his tenure, several actions were taken, such as guaranteeing abortion rights, enforcing paid family and sick leave, strengthening gun laws, funding universal free school meals, and investing in affordable housing.

His activities attracted the attention of former President Barack Obama. If you need a reminder that elections matter, look at what's happening in Minnesota, wrote Obama.