Read about Tim Walz net worth, age, wife, children, height, family, parents, salary and party as well as other information you need to know.
Introduction
Tim Walz is an American politician, former U.S. Army non-commissioned officer, and retired educator who has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he is its presumptive nominee for vice president in the 2024 United States presidential election. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019, representing Minnesota’s 1st congressional district.
Walz joined the Army National Guard and worked in agriculture, manufacturing, and teaching after high school. He later graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska before moving to Minnesota in 1996. Before running for Congress, he worked as a social studies teacher and football coach in the Mankato school district.
He was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Minnesota’s 1st congressional district in 2006, defeating six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht. He was reelected five times, resigning in 2019 after being elected governor. Walz represented a large, mostly rural section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa.
Walz was elected governor of Minnesota on November 6, 2018, defeating the Republican nominee, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson. He was reelected in the 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election, defeating Republican nominee Scott Jensen. On August 6, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her selection of Walz as her running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Early life
| Name | Tim Walz |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Ocuupation | Politician |
| Age | 60 years |
| Height | 1.83m |
Timothy James Walz was born on April 6, 1964 (age 60 years) in West Point, Nebraska, United States. He is the son of Darlene Rose (née Reiman) and James F. Walz, a public school administrator. Walz and his three siblings grew up in Valentine, Nebraska, a rural community in the northwestern part of the state. While Walz was in high school, his father was diagnosed with lung cancer. His family moved to Butte, Nebraska, in his sophomore year to be closer to his parents’ relatives.
Walz graduated from Butte High School in 1982 with a class of 25 students. A year later, his father died. In 1989, he earned a Bachelor of Science in social science education from Chadron State College. In 1995, he was arrested for a driving under the influence charge, and has been a teetotaler ever since. In 2001, Walz earned a Master of Science in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Career
Tim Walz worked in agriculture and manufacturing, and served in the National Guard after high school. He subsequently went to college and got a teaching degree like his father. After graduating from Chadron State College, he accepted a teaching position for a year with WorldTeach in China. After returning, Walz took a job teaching and coaching in Alliance, Nebraska, where he met his wife, Gwen Whipple, a fellow teacher.
He and Gwen married in 1994, and moved two years later to Mankato in Minnesota, his wife’s home state, where he worked as a geography teacher and coach at Mankato West High School. He coached the football team to its first state championship in 1999. In 1999, Walz agreed to be the faculty advisor of the first gay-straight alliance at Mankato West High School. Walz and his wife also ran Educational Travel Adventures, which organized summer educational trips for high school students to China.
With his father’s encouragement, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard when he turned 17. His father had served in the Korean War and paid for his education degree with the G.I. Bill, and wanted his son to have the same opportunity. Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years after enlisting in 1981. During his military career, he had postings in Arkansas, Texas, the Arctic Circle, New Ulm, Minnesota, and elsewhere. He trained in heavy artillery.
During his service, he worked in disaster response postings following floods and tornadoes and was deployed overseas on active duty for months, though he never saw combat. In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year. He was deployed post-9/11 for half a year to Europe to support Operation Enduring Freedom. His decorations included the Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals.
Walz attained the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service, but retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. Tim Walz volunteered for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, and was soon appointed the campaign’s coordinator for his county as well as a district coordinator of Vets for Kerry.
In 2005, Walz completed the two-and-a-half-day campaigns and elections course at Camp Wellstone, a program run by Wellstone Action, the nonprofit organization Mark and David Wellstone created to carry on the work of their parents, Paul Wellstone and Sheila Wellstone. Walz subsequently announced his candidacy for Congress in 2006. He had no opponent for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) nomination in the September 12 primary election.
He beat incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in the general election on November 7, and took office on January 3, 2007. After the election, Politico described Gutknecht as having been caught “off guard”, and Walz as having “resolved never to get caught like that himself…. He packaged himself as a moderate from Day One, built an office centered on constituent service and carved out a niche as a tireless advocate for veterans.”
Walz was reelected in 2008 with 62% of the vote, becoming only the second non-Republican to win a second full term in the district. He won a third term in 2010, defeating State Representative Randy Demmer with 50% of the vote. He was reelected again in 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Upon his swearing in, Walz became the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress, as well as only the fourth Democrat/DFLer to represent his district. The others were Thomas Wilson (1887–1889), William Harries (1891–1893), and Tim Penny (1983–1995). Walz served on the House Agriculture Committee, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the Armed Services Committee. Along with fellow Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, Walz opposed President Bush’s plan to increase troop levels in Iraq.
In his first week as a legislator, Walz cosponsored a bill to raise the minimum wage, voted for stem cell research, voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices, and voiced support for pay-as-you-go budget rules, requiring that new spending or tax changes not add to the federal deficit.
Even as he represented a district that had usually voted Republican, pundits described Walz’s policy positions as ranging from moderate to liberal. He voted against the act to Prohibit Federally Funded Abortion Services and to advance the Affordable Care Act out of the House. He also voted to continue funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against the 2008 TARP bill, which purchased troubled assets from financial institutions.
Tim Walz received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood in 2012, from the American Civil Liberties Union in 2011, from the American Immigration Lawyers Association in 2009–2010, from the AFL-CIO in 2010, from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in 2009–2010, and from the National Organization for Women in 2007. He also received single-digit ratings from the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, Americans for Tax Reform, and FreedomWorks. The United States Chamber of Commerce gave him a 25% rating in 2010.
Walz was ranked the 7th-most bipartisan House member during the 114th Congress (and the most bipartisan member from Minnesota) in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy, which ranks members of Congress by measuring how often their bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and how often they co-sponsor bills by members of the opposite party.
He announced he would run for governor after Mark Dayton, the incumbent Democratic governor, chose not to seek a third term. On November 6, 2018, Walz was elected governor, defeating the Republican nominee, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson. During the campaign, two senior NCOs of the Minnesota National Guard falsely accused Walz of fabricating facts about his service and lying about his military rank. The allegation about his military rank was debunked.
Tim Walz sought reelection in 2022. He won the August 9 Democratic primary and faced Republican nominee Scott Jensen in the November general election. On November 8, 2022, Walz defeated Jensen, 52.3% to 44.6%. Though Jensen fared better than Walz’s opponent had in 2018 and made gains against Walz in Greater Minnesota, he did not overcome Walz’s lead in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
Walz was sworn in as governor of Minnesota on January 7, 2019, at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul. Walz took the oath of office alongside incoming Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, all Democrats. Walz spoke about education and healthc are reform in his inauguration speech.
On May 26, 2020, the day after the murder of George Floyd, Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan demanded justice and called the video of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck “disturbing”. Tim Walz elaborated, “The lack of humanity in this disturbing video is sickening. We will get answers and seek justice”.
Walz’s initial response to the widespread protests following Floyd’s murder was criticized by political opponents and other groups. He later responded to the murder by ordering the Minnesota legislature to reconvene for special sessions on legislation for police reform and accountability. After police reform failed to pass the first special session in June, a second special session was held in July.
On July 21, the legislature passed major police reform legislation. The new compromise law included a limited ban on police from using chokeholds so long as the officers are not at greater risk. It banned the old warrior training program, which was regarded as dehumanizing people and encouraging aggressive conduct. It required training peace officers to deal with people with autism or in a mental health crisis and deescalation training for situations that could turn volatile. It also created a special independent unit at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for investigations of fatal police encounters and a community relations advisory council to consult with the Police Officers Standards and Training Board on policy changes. Walz signed the legislation into law on July 23.
On May 24, 2023, Walz signed an omnibus appropriations bill into law that included a section that adjoined Minnesota to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The 93rd Minnesota Legislature, in session from January to May 2023, was the first legislature to be fully Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party-controlled since the 88th Minnesota Legislature in 2013–15. It passed several major reforms to Minnesota law, including requiring paid leave, banning noncompete agreements, cannabis legalization, increased spending on infrastructure and environmental issues, tax modifications, codifying abortion rights, universal free school meals, and universal gun background checks.
The Star Tribune called the session “one of the most consequential” ever in Minnesota; Walz called it the “most productive session in Minnesota history”. While Walz signed almost all legislation passed by the legislature, he vetoed a bill intended to increase pay for rideshare drivers, his first veto as governor, saying that it did not strike the right balance.
On July 22, 2024, Tim Walz endorsed Vice President Harris following incumbent President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. Walz quickly rose to the top of Harris’s reported shortlist for vice president. On August 6, 2024, Harris selected Walz as her running mate. This followed a selection process in which Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro were also reported to be on the Harris campaign’s shortlist prior to Walz’s selection.
Walz advocated for the legalization of recreational cannabis as governor of Minnesota. As a candidate for governor in 2017, he said: “We have an opportunity in Minnesota to replace the current failed policy with one that creates tax revenue, grows jobs, builds opportunities for Minnesotans, protects Minnesota kids, and trusts adults to make personal decisions based on their personal freedoms.”
In 2022, he proposed the creation of a Cannabis Management Office to develop and implement the “regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis” in Minnesota. On May 30, 2023, he signed into law House File 100 to legalize recreational cannabis in Minnesota, which went into effect on August 1, 2023.
During the economic crisis in 2008, Walz repeatedly spoke out against using taxpayer money to bail out financial institutions; in late September, he voted against the $700 billion TARP bill, which purchased troubled assets from these institutions. Walz released a statement after the bill’s passage, saying, “The bill we voted on today passes the buck when it comes to recouping the losses taxpayers might suffer. I also regret that this bill does not do enough to help average homeowners, or provide sufficient oversight of Wall Street.”
In December 2008, he voted against the bill that offered $14 billion in government loans to bail out the country’s large automobile manufacturers. In June 2009 Walz introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the federal government to “relinquish its temporary ownership interests in the General Motors Company and the Chrysler Group, LLC, as soon as possible” and stated that the government must not be involved in those companies’ management decisions.
Despite his votes against bailout bills that loaned taxpayer money to large banks and auto manufacturers, Walz did vote with his Democratic colleagues to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. As a member of the House Transportation Committee, Walz saw the stimulus bill as an opportunity to work “with his congressional colleagues to make job creation through investment in public infrastructure like roads, bridges and clean energy the cornerstone of the economic recovery plan”.
Walz has focused heavily on job and economic issues important to his southern Minnesota district, which has a mix of larger employers like the Mayo Clinic along with small businesses and agricultural interests. In July 2009, he voted for the Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act, which he described as “part of our long-term economic blueprint to spur job creation by encouraging America’s entrepreneurs to innovate toward breakthrough technological advancements”. Walz also urged assistance for hog and dairy farmers who struggled with lower prices for their commodities in 2008 and 2009.
Tim Walz was a public school teacher for 20 years. He opposes using merit pay for teachers. Voting in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Walz pointed to its strong provisions in support of public school buildings. He is on record supporting legislation to lower tuition costs.
In a February 12, 2009 speech, he said that the most important thing to do “to ensure a solid base for [America’s] economic future … is to provide the best education possible for [American] children.” Walz has received strong backing for these policies from many interest groups, including the National Education Association, the American Association of University Women and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
While in Congress, Walz was a strong supporter of gun rights and was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) multiple times, receiving an A grade from the organization. Following the Parkland high school shooting in 2018, he denounced the NRA in a Star Tribune opinion piece, and announced that he would donate the equivalent of all of the campaign contributions the NRA-PVF had given him—$18,000—to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
As governor, Walz expressed support for gun regulation. In 2023, he signed into law a public safety bill that establishes universal background checks and red-flag laws in Minnesota. Walz supports LGBTQ rights, including federal anti-discrimination laws on the basis of sexual orientation. In a 2009 speech, he called for an end to the Don’t ask, don’t tell policy. Walz voted in favor of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
In 2007, he received a 90% grade from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT rights organization. In 2011, Walz announced his support for the Respect for Marriage Act. As governor, Walz has signed a number of bills that support the LGBTQ community. In 2023, he signed a bill that banned the practice of conversion therapy and another that protected gender-affirming care in Minnesota.
Tim Walz condemned Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel and ordered flags to be lowered to half mast in the following days. After the 2024 Minnesota Democratic presidential primary, in which 19% of voters cast “uncommitted” ballots, Walz took a sympathetic view toward those doing so to protest President Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza, calling them “civically engaged”.
Of the protests against U.S. funding of the war in Gaza, Walz said: “This issue is a humanitarian crisis. They have every right to be heard… These folks are asking for a change in course, they’re asking for more pressure to be put on… You can hold competing things: that Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but Palestinian civilians being caught in this… has got to end.” Walz also said he supports a ceasefire in Gaza.
Having served 24 years in the Army National Guard, as a freshman in Congress Walz was given a rare third committee membership when he was assigned to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Walz has championed enhanced veterans benefits since taking office in 2007. In May of that year, the House unanimously passed his “Traumatic Brain Injuries Center Act” to set up five centers around the nation to study traumatic brain injuries and develop improved models for caring for veterans suffering from such injuries.
Walz also supported the GI Bill of 2008, which expanded education benefits for veterans and in some cases allowed them to transfer education benefits to family members. In 2009, Walz gave the keynote address at the American Legion National Convention in Louisville. He spoke about the need for the VA and Department of Defense to work together to make sure that returning service men and women “do not fall through the cracks when they transition to civilian life”.
Walz was the lead House sponsor of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which directs the Veterans Administration to report on veteran mental health care and suicide prevention programs. It also gives the VA permission to provide incentives to psychiatrists who agree to join the VA medical system. He supports abortion rights, and has a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood. The National Right to Life Committee gave him a rating of zero. In early 2009, Walz voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Wife
Tim Walz is married to Gwen Whipple, they had their wedding in 1994. Tim and his wife lived in Mankato, Minnesota, for nearly 20 years before moving to Saint Paul with their two children upon his election as governor. His wife was a teacher. However, Walz is Lutheran and his brother Craig died after being hit by a falling tree during a storm in 2016. He was survived by his wife Julie and their son Jacob, who suffered severe injuries but survived.
Tim Walz net worth
How much is Tim Walz worth? Tim Walz net worth is estimated at around $5 million. His main source of income is from his primary work as a politician. Tim Walz’s salary per month and other career earning are over $255,000 dollars annually. His remarkable achievements have earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy cars trips. He is one of the richest and influential politicians in the United States. He stands at an appealing height of 1.83m and has a good body weight which suits his personality.