(Photo: CFP)
On August 6, the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her newly selected vice-presidential running mate.
Starting on Tuesday, Walz will join Harris in campaigning across seven swing states over five days.
A former schoolteacher once taught in Guangdong
Many Americans may not have heard of Tim Walz before Tuesday. The 60-year-old governor was born in Nebraska. To secure public funding for schooling, Walz, who graduated from high school at the age of 17, served in the U.S. Army National Guard for 24 years and rose to the rank of command sergeant major, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the military.
In 1989, Walz graduated from Chadron State College with a bachelor's degree in education. As a teacher, he then came to Foshan No. 1 High School in South China's Guangdong Province through Harvard University's charity project WorldTeach.
Walz
was nicknamed "Fields of China" by his Chinese students,
praising his internationalist spirit.
After returning to
the United States, Walz set up an educational company based on his
connections with China, and the Walz couple brought American high
school students to China for travel during summer vacation.
Entering politics in 2006
In 2004, Walz attended a campaign rally for then-President George W. Bush with his students, where his students were turned away for wearing a Kerry sticker. After that, Walz has said he entered politics by joining Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign as a volunteer.
Although Kerry lost to Bush, Walz was successfully elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and reelected five times. In 2018, he was first elected governor of Minnesota and won a second term four years later. Despite the state not being a traditional Democratic stronghold, Walz won both races with ease.
A politician lauded by the left
On policy, Walz has been lauded by some progressives for advancing left-wing priorities in a swing state, earning praise from organizations focused on abortion protection, labor unions, feminist causes, and more.
"Walz is an interesting choice," Jennifer Victor, a political science professor at George Mason University noted, "It seems that perhaps Harris has chosen him for these positive attributes that she thinks may make the ticket more appealing to swing voters."
Reporter: Xachary, Zhou Jing(intern)
Photo: cfp.cn
Editor: Steven, Nina, James
