Tim Walz

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 stated 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.

Timothy James Walz (born April 6, 1964) 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.

Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1981 and served for 24 years.

Over his military career, he had postings in Arkansas, Texas, the Arctic Circle, New Ulm, Minnesota, and elsewhere.

He worked in heavy artillery.

During his career, he worked in disaster response postings following floods and tornados and was deployed overseas on active duty for months, although he never saw combat.

In 1989, he earned a bachelor of science degree in social science education from Chadron State College.

His first teaching experience was at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

He then accepted a teaching position with WorldTeach in the People's Republic of China.

In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year.

He moved to Minnesota in 1996.

In 2001, he earned a Master of Science in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Walz attained the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his career, 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.

He resumed teaching as a geography teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School.

Walz and his wife, Gwen, ran Educational Travel Adventures, accompanying high school juniors and seniors on summer educational trips to China.

Before running for Congress in 2006, he served for 24 years in the Army National Guard and as a social studies teacher in the Mankato school district.

He was elected to the United States House of Representatives for MN's 1st congressional district in 2006, defeating six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht.

Walz decided to run for Congress in 2006.

He had no opponent for the DFL nomination in the September 12, 2006 primary election.

A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing MN's 1st congressional district from 2007 to 2019.

Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz was a member of the Army National Guard, and worked in agriculture, manufacturing, and teaching after high school.

He later graduated from Chadron State College and Minnesota State University, Mankato.

He beat incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in the general election on November 7, and took office on January 3, 2007.

After the election, Gutknecht was described 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 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.

On November 6, 2018, Walz was elected governor, defeating the Republican nominee, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

Walz was reelected in the 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election, defeating Republican nominee Scott Jensen.

Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, the son of Darlene R. and James F. "Jim" Walz.

The son of a public school administrator and community activist, Walz was raised in Chadron, Nebraska, a rural community in the northwestern portion of the state.

Walz graduated from Butte High School in a class of 25 students.

He was reelected five times, retiring in 2019 after being elected governor.

Walz represented a large, mostly rural section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa.