Tim Walz is Minnesota's 41st governor. He was first elected governor in 2018 and won reelection in 2022. Accomplishments from his time as governor include providing universal free school meals for students; protecting reproductive freedom; strengthening voting rights; laying the groundwork to get Minnesota to 100 percent clean electricity by 2040; cutting taxes for the middle class; and expanding paid leave for Minnesota workers. Throughout his time as governor, Governor Walz has prioritized making Minnesota the best state in the country to raise a family.
Born in a small town in rural Nebraska, Governor Walz's parents instilled in him the values of public service, generosity toward your neighbors, and working for the common good that guide his commitment to Minnesota today. After high school graduation, Governor Walz enlisted in the US Army National Guard. He attended Chadron State College and graduated with a social science degree in 1989. Governor Walz spent a year teaching abroad before returning home to serve full-time in the Army National Guard and eventually accepting a high school teaching and coaching position.
While teaching, Governor Walz met his future wife, Gwen Whipple, who taught at the same school. They moved to Mankato in 1996, where they worked at Mankato West High School. In addition to teaching social studies, he helped coach the Mankato West football team that won the school's first state championship. After 24 years in the Army National Guard, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1st battalion, 125th field artillery regiment in 2005. He won his first election to the US House of Representatives in 2006 and was reelected for another five terms serving Minnesota's 1st congressional district in southern Minnesota.
