How does Tim Walz label himself? What his social media reveals

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the newly minted pick to run as the vice presidential candidate along with Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, is many things to many people: husband, father, teacher, coach, veteran, congressman, governor. But how does he align himself politically? It depends on who you ask.

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump and vice-presidential candidate JD Vance have rushed to portray Walz as too left-wing, the same allegations made against Harris.

In an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Trump called Walz a radical liberal and claimed he was “thrilled” Harris had picked him.

By comparison, Reid Hoffman, a Democratic donor and founder of LinkedIn, now owned by Microsoft, heralded Walz as a champion of economic growth.

“Walz fostered a pro-business climate, attracting substantial investment and positioning the state as a top contender for business development,” said Hoffman.

Pro-business or progressive?

Walz was elected to a Republican-leaning district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and served 12 years before being elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and again in 2022.

While Harris’ running mate has supported issues ranging from legalized abortion and same-sex marriage to the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, he also racked up a centrist voting record during his congressional career.

As the governor's legislative agenda continues to be parsed by pundits and politicos, his social media posts on X, formerly Twitter, offer a glimpse of how he views himself personally:

“Minnesota nice”

“When disaster hits, we help our neighbors. That’s just what Minnesotans do,” he posted in April. “Thank you to the brave folks who stepped up to get this driver home safe.”

Union member

“I was a dues-paying union member for several decades,” he said in another post advocating for collective bargaining and other labor protections, along with a video of him speaking to North America’s Building Trades Unions, a department of the AFL-CIO.

“While other states are coming after workers’ rights, Minnesota is and will always be a labor state,” he said in another July post.

Sports fan

Walz also often posts about being an avid sports fan and the teams he supports.

“I’m a football guy. I like to go on offense,” he posted in July.

In May, he made a post saying “Naz Reid,” an NBA player on the Minnesota Timberwolves. In another, he said, “Reminder: Minnesota’s new official state flag will be raised for the first time tomorrow,” with a tongue-in-cheek, photoshopped picture of a flag with the words “Naz Reid” on it.

Parent of a child conceived through IVF

He also is open about his family’s experience with IVF, contrasting himself with emerging opposition to the procedure.

“My wife and I went through fertility treatments for seven years,” he posted in March. “It’s no coincidence that we named our daughter Hope.”

Hunter and Fisherman

A former Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus member, Walz presents himself as a hunter and fisherman.

“Looking forward to joining folks out on the water bright and early tomorrow,” he said in May, along with a photo of himself on a fishing boat.

Other photos feature Walz wearing camouflage and posing with a shotgun and a hunting dog.

Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: How does Tim Walz label himself?