Tim Walz

Timothy James Walz (born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. On January 5, 2026, amid scrutiny over fraud allegations in the Department of Human Services, he announced that he would not seek a third term. Following this announcement, Walz held a press conference on January 6, 2026, stating he would not resign amid ongoing fraud investigations and committing to serving out his term until January 2027 while rejecting calls to step down. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he previously represented the state's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. In 2024, Walz was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president on the ticket with Kamala Harris, but they lost the election to Republican Donald Trump and JD Vance, securing 226 electoral votes to the winners' 312.

Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz grew up in rural communities and graduated from Butte Central High School in 1982 before earning a Bachelor of Science in social science education from Chadron State College in 1989. Prior to his political career, he taught high school geography and coached football in Nebraska and later in Mankato, Minnesota, where he relocated in 1996. Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1981, serving 24 years and rising to the rank of command sergeant major before retiring in May 2005, shortly before his unit's anticipated deployment to Iraq.