Tough, savvy, and all-around 'nice guy': How Gov. Walz gets stuff done

MINNEAPOLIS ? When Vice President Kamala Harris chose a little-known governor from the Midwest as her running mate, she rewarded a progressive pragmatist with a reputation for using tough love to win elections and be a productive policy pusher.

The newfound spotlight on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60, has showcased a reputation of happy-go-lucky-ness. But his track record as a six-term congressman and state executive shows a sharp knowledge of political gambit and geniality.

"He's willing to help and knows a lot about pragmatic things," former congressional colleague and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told USA TODAY.

The role of vice president is not a well-defined one. The Constitution names the VP as the president of the U.S. Senate, with tiebreaking voting powers. The VP is also the understudy should something happen to the president, as it has nine times in nearly 250 years of American history. It's up to each president ultimately to determine their No. 2's primary roles: President Joe Biden, for example, tasked Harris with managing the southern border and reproductive issues.

As for Walz, his possible roles in a Harris administration could range across one or more of his many niches, from education to veterans affairs and labor union matters. So, does this former football coach have the political chops to not only help Harris win, but operate as second-in-command of the free world?

USA TODAY spoke with three people who have known him across his career in politics, from Washington, D.C., to Minnesota's capital, St. Paul. They agree he's up for the job promotion.

A 'happy warrior' in Congress

Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., arrived in the spring of 2018 after winning a special election, and with a competitive run for a full term awaiting him that fall in a western Pennsylvania district that two years earlier had swung hard for Donald Trump.

Lamb secured a seat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where Walz was the panel's top Democrat, though soon he would leave for his post as governor of Minnesota.

He told USA TODAY that Walz was a "happy warrior" even then, delighting in going toe-to-toe with the Republicans on the committee while maintaining real cross-party relationships.

More: Walzing on sunshine: How Tim Walz's upbeat demeanor got him on the Kamala Harris ticket

But he also remembered Walz as someone who recognized that each lawmaker had their own political considerations.

The committee had been working on the VA Mission Act, which would help veterans get health care at non-VA facilities. When it came time for the full committee to vote, it didn't have all the elements Walz needed to support it. But he counseled less experienced Democrats that it was OK to vote in favor of the legislation ? it's not a bad bill, he said, and it could show voters you're willing to work with Republicans.

Lamb had also come into Congress with few allies in leadership ? he had run, in part, on opposing Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who in 2018 was the Democratic minority leader. Walz told Lamb he'd help him get bills out of committee that could help win reelection.

"It was politically savvy for him to be thinking about how can we get you some legislative wins," Lamb said, "but it was also just like, this guy needs a friend, this guy needs someone to look out for him, and that's what I'm going to do.

"That's why it left such an impression on me. He didn't have to do that."

Lamb won his seat in the 2018 general election. The VA bill did become a law, taking effect in 2019 with Trump's signature.

Walz in crisis mode

Ellison has witnessed firsthand Walz's ability to govern as an independent thinker intent on understanding views other than his own, political and otherwise.

As Minnesota's attorney general, Ellison has worked closely with Walz during his time as governor amid difficult moments, namely the riots after the murder of George Floyd while in police custody in 2020. That's a time when Walz has been most heavily criticized, but Ellison countered that he's especially proud of the governor's response.

"He's a Swiss Army knife," said Ellison, who has known Walz for more than 20 years. "This ticket identified a weakness that both parties had by picking Tim."

Walz had to walk a fine line while the world reacted to the video of Floyd's death and his state's largest city on fire on national television: The governor focused on maintaining safety and respecting a grieving community during a time that would become a microcosm of racial justice reform.

His leadership drew condemnation, in particular for his timing of activating the Army National Guard. Walz, a guard veteran himself, called on the guard three days after Floyd was murdered. That same night, rioters burned down the Minneapolis police's 3rd Precinct building. Three days later, Walz mobilized the full guard.

Ellison said the reality is much more complicated than the timeline reveals, including waiting for an army that is not on standby. To Ellison, Walz acted with humanity and decisiveness.

"He moved as fast as he legally could," Ellison said.

During the time, Trump praised Walz for his response to the civil unrest and has recently wrongfully taken credit for deploying the National Guard.

More: GOP critics say Tim Walz 'let Minnesota burn' in 2020 protests. Here's what happened

Up until 2023, Walz served as governor under a split statehouse and had to maneuver around partisan feuds and party infighting to pass legislation. Walz signed a bipartisan bill in 2020 banning excessively aggressive training for police officers and certain forms of chokeholds. Those measures directly addressed the controversial tactics that led to Floyd's death.

"Not only does he do what he needs to do at the right time, he actually does it the right way," Ellison said. "We try to restore order as quickly as possible, and that's what happened."

Walz spent decades in a classroom as a history teacher before he ever took office. Ellison said Walz's experience in the nation's capital winning over politicians is second nature for an educator.

"As a teacher, you can't get every kid. Some kids, there are just too many problems for you to reach them, and not even the best teacher is going to change that," Ellison said.

"But for the kid who's kind of going astray and needs a helping hand," he said, "(Walz) can do a lot for them."

Beating the odds again, and again

Michael Brodkorb, former Republican strategist and deputy chair of the Minnesota GOP, made a decadeslong career out of tearing down Minnesota Democrats. This year, he'll be casting his vote for one of them.

"It's in (Walz's) political DNA to win people over," Brodkorb told USA TODAY

A self-described never-Trumper, Brodkorb said he has found himself in the "political wilderness." Regardless of whether he believes in Walz's progressive policies, the newly energized Democratic White House ticket is a "very inviting environment," he said.

From the start, Walz faced tough odds making his first move into politics. He was a high school teacher with no practical government experience. But he won his seat as a Democrat in a deep red rural district. And then he kept on winning.

"I've spent a lot of time in my career trying to knock this guy out of office," said Brodkorb, who was running a campaign for a neighboring GOP congressman during Walz's first run for Congress.

Walz held his congressional seat for 12 years before becoming Minnesota's 41st governor in 2018. How did he do it? Authenticity and duality, Brodkorb said.

He recalled a post on X from Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig after Harris picked Walz as her running mate: "He's a guy who will go to a turkey hunt in the morning and a gay rights gala at night."

"In some instances, in this hyperpartisan reality, those can be diametrically opposed events, but he has comfort in both of those," Brodkorb said.

After years of mass shootings, Walz beefed up his stance on gun control and proudly proclaimed he went from an A rating with the National Rifle Association to an F. Brodkorb said that was "political courage."

Though Walz may be an empathic leader and problem solver, Brodkorb said, his unwavering defense of his morals will create a "dangerous recipe" for the Trump-Vance ticket in November.

Some say "nice guys finish last," Brodkorb said, "but tough guys win." Of Walz, he added: "He's got a toughness to him."

Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected], on X @woodyreports, or on Threads @samjowoody.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Tim Walz may be 'nice guy,' but he's also a sharp political operative