10 facts about Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' VP pick

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is set to take the stage in New York City on Tuesday, where he’ll face off against his Republican rival JD Vance in the first and only VP debate. But who exactly is this former teacher, military veteran and Minnesota governor?

To get a better sense of Walz, here are ten key facts you should know:

He served in the Army National Guard

Walz served 24 years in the National Guard , starting as an infantryman at 17 in 1981 and retiring in 2005 to run for Congress. His father, a Korean War veteran, encouraged him to enlist while living in Nebraska and later continued his service in Minnesota. Walz used the GI Bill to put himself through college and re-enlisted after 9/11. He was deployed to help with natural disasters and supported operations in Afghanistan from Italy.

Tune into the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate, Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS or simulcast on www.usatoday.com .

His teaching background is also a large part of his identity

After graduating from Chadron State College in Nebraska in 1989 with an undergraduate degree in social science, Walz spent a year teaching in China. He returned to Nebraska to teach high school, where he met his wife, Gwen, who was also a teacher. The couple later moved to Minnesota and accepted teaching positions at Mankato West High School, where he taught social studies and geography .

Better known as “Coach” in high school

At Mankato West High School, Walz became a key figure on the coaching staff , helping transform the football program from a struggling team into a state powerhouse. When he joined the school, the team had lost 27 consecutive games, but within three years, his leadership helped guide them to a state championship in 1999.

He has a history of winning tough elections

In 2006, Walz made headlines by defeating a Republican incumbent in a rural Minnesota district to win a seat in Congress. After serving six terms in the U.S. House, he ran for governor in 2018 and won by 11 points, beating Republican Jeff Johnson.

As governor, Walz faced significant challenges, including leading Minnesota through the COVID-19 pandemic with lockdowns, school closures, and business shutdowns. He also dealt with the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder , which sparked global protests and unrest in Minneapolis. Despite these hurdles, Walz won re-election in 2022, defeating Republican Scott Jensen.

He’s an avid hunter

Walz is a gun owner and avid hunter in his free time. He started the “Governor’s Turkey Hunting Opener” to kick off Minnesota’s turkey-hunting season and also hosts a similar event for the pheasant-hunting season.

During a recent appearance on CNN , he appeared to challenge JD Vance to a shooting competition. “I guarantee you he can’t shoot pheasants like I can,” he told Anderson Cooper.

More: Harris campaign highlights Tim Walz family's IVF journey

He’s an advocate for reproductive health care

The Harris-Walz campaign has emphasized how Walz and his wife, Gwen, overcame years of fertility challenges to conceive their daughter, Grace.

“Governor Walz and Mrs. Walz struggled with years of fertility challenges and had their daughter, Hope, through reproductive health care like IVF — further cementing his commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to this care,” the Harris campaign said in a statement .

And a gay marriage ally

As a teacher, Walz dedicated time and effort to helping his students establish the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance in 1999. He said it was important for the sponsor to be “the football coach,” who was a soldier, straight and married.

When he first ran for Congress in 2006, he ran on a platform that supported same-sex marriage.

He’s the guy who started calling MAGA Republicans “weird”

Before he became Harris’ running mate, Walz made headlines by describing Donald Trump and Republicans as “weird,” and it stuck.

And during his first rally after Harris selected him as her vice president nominee in August, Walz slammed Vance as “creepy” and “ just weird as hell. ”

The message quickly took off on social media, especially among young Americans. Although calling opponents “weird” or “odd” isn’t a new tactic in American politics, it represented a fresh strategy for Democrats.

More: Tim Walz's working-class cred: no stocks, no bonds, and he doesn't own a home

He’s a “Minnesota Lutheran”

Walz is Lutheran, as are more than 20% of the Minnesota population, according to the Pew Research Center courtesy of Scandinavian Lutherans who settled in the region in the 19th century.

If elected, Walz would become only the second Lutheran vice president —well, maybe. Another Minnesotan, Hubert Humphrey, was raised Lutheran but ended up attending a Methodist church after his family moved to a city where there wasn’t a Lutheran one available.

He has at least one thing in common with JD Vance

Walz has shared that he stopped drinking alcohol after being pulled over for speeding in 1995 and failing a sobriety test . He also avoids coffee, opting for Diet Mountain Dew —just like his Republican opponent.

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 facts about Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' VP pick