Kamala Harris running mate Tim Walz’s accomplishments, setbacks during his time as Minnesota governor

MINNEAPOLIS — Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her presidential running mate, three sources tell CBS News. While Walz might not be a household name, his political star has been on the rise in recent weeks after making several viral cable news appearances.

Walz was also credited with helping launch the “weird” movement among his fellow Democrats, which has gained traction and put former President Donald Trump, his vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance and other Republicans on the defensive.

He has also been applauded and condemned for several progressive laws passed while in Minnesota’s highest office, especially in his second term when the DFL Party took total control of state government following the 2022 elections.

He also faced severe criticism in his first term for how he handled the duel crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the violent uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. 

In an interview with CNN last month, host Jake Tapper pressed Walz about whether he could harm the Democratic ticket, as the Trump campaign works hard to portray Harris as an ultraliberal. Walz said he was “more than happy” to take any label they have.

“What a monster! Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health care decisions. And we’re a top-five business state and we also rank in the top three of happiness,” Walz said.

Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, believes Walz is an asset to Harris’ campaign because of his “attack dog” skills.

“I think we’d see Tim Walz really going after the Trump-Vance ticket, and it’d probably be a harsher tone than what we’ve seen here in Minnesota in his everyday conduct. And he’d really be counted on to win the key states in the Upper Midwest,” Jacobs said.

Here are several of Walz’s accomplishments — with an unusual number of legislative successes scored in March 2023 alone — and setbacks during his tenure as governor.

The pandemic

Walz’s use of emergency powers during the pandemic — including the institution of a mask mandate, business shutdowns and a hotline number established to report people violating social distancing guidelines — outraged his critics.

Several lawsuits followed, including one filed in 2020 by the conservative Upper Midwest Law Center alleging Walz misinterpreted the Minnesota Emergency Management Act and illegally bypassed state lawmakers when issuing a peacetime emergency.

The case, which focused on the mask mandate, eventually made its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which sent it back to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. In July 2023, that court ruled that Walz indeed had the authority.

During his 2022 reelection campaign against GOP candidate Dr. Scott Jensen, who was banned from some social media platforms for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, Walz consistently defended the “hard decisions” he made during the pandemic. He went on to defeat Jensen by nearly 200,000 votes.  

The murder of George Floyd and its aftermath

Conservatives lashed out at Walz in March 2020 for his delay in the historic activation of the Minnesota National Guard, which helped restore order on Twin Cities streets during the unrest.

The delay drew the ire of then-President Trump, who went on to falsely claim he ultimately made the call. Months after the chaos, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he asked Walz for troops three days before he gave the green light.

Walz, who served in the Army National Guard for nearly a quarter of a century, clapped back at Frey.

“I don’t think the mayor knew what he was asking for,” Walz said. “I think the mayor said, ‘I request the National Guard, this is great. We’re going to have massively-trained troops.’ No, you’re going to have 19-year-olds who are cooks!”

In a recent interview with Fox News, Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann accused Walz of delaying guard activation because “he was fearful of alienating his progressive base, who were supporting the riots.”

“(Walz has) been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having,” Hann said. “He displayed a remarkable lack of leadership in dealing with the riot that was very destructive, and the aftermath of which is still affecting the quality of life and the business climate in Minneapolis.”

Abortion rights

In a 1995 ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld abortion rights in Minnesota. In January 2023, Walz signed the PRO Act (Protect Reproductive Options Act) into law, making abortion a “fundamental right,” as well as access to contraception, fertility treatments, sterilization and other reproductive health care.

The law made Minnesota the first state to codify abortion rights in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which nullified Roe. v. Wade after nearly 50 years of precedent.

“Your access to reproductive health and your right to make your own health care decisions are preserved and protected,” Walz said during the signing ceremony. “And because of this law, that won’t change with the political wins or makeup of the Supreme Court. This is a bill for Minnesota today and all future generations.”

Republicans vigorously opposed the PRO Act, which was labeled as an “extreme law” by the party’s top lawmakers, who failed to add amendments that would’ve banned third-trimester abortions and required clinics to be licensed.

In April 2023, Walz signed the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act into law, shielding women and providers from any legal action originating from the patient’s state.

Pro-LGBTQIA+ legislation

In March 2023, Walz signed an executive order to protect the right of residents to have access to gender-affirming health care. Weeks later, he signed the “Trans Refuge” bill, banning the enforcement of arrest warrants, extradition requests and out-of-state subpoenas for those who traveled to Minnesota for care.

“When someone else is given basic rights, others don’t lose theirs,” Walz said. “We aren’t cutting a pie here. We’re giving basic rights to every single Minnesotan.”

Republicans sought to place an amendment in a separate bill to outlaw access in line with some neighboring states.

Other critics, including Christian conservative groups, claimed the law places vulnerable youths in danger of irreparable harm.

Proponents say gender-affirming care treatments are evidence-based with plans developed on a person-by-person basis, taking into consideration the patient’s developmental stage.

The practice of putting LGBTQIA+ youths into “conversion therapy,” which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, was also formally banned in early 2023, although Walz issued an executive order two years earlier to restrict the practice.

Opponents of conversion therapy, like Children’s Minnesota pediatrician Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd, say the practice can cause psychological trauma, and increase the risk of self-harm and suicide.

Opponents of the ban said it was ultimately an attack on religious freedom.

Gun laws

Later that year, Walz signed a public safety package including a “red flag” law that allows family members, roommates or law enforcement to petition the courts to remove firearms from the possession of anyone deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Another law within the package required private gun transfers to be subject to background checks.

“This is not about the second amendment,” Walz said. “This is about the safety and security of our communities. That’s what’s happening here today.”

Republicans and gun rights advocates accused Walz and DFL lawmakers of burying the gun control measures into the enormous package, and unfairly impacting the rights of lawful gun owners.

Paid family, medical and sick leave

In May 2023, Walz signed a law creating a state-run program to provide paid family and medical leave for Minnesota workers, funded by a 0.7% payroll tax on employers, by 2026.

While proponents say the law is an “equalizer” that provides a road map for a similar federal effort, critics claim it would cost much more than estimated and devastate small businesses.

Legalization of recreational marijuana

In May 2023, Minnesota became the 23rd state in the nation to legalize recreational cannabis use. Three months later, people 21 and older could start to possess certain amounts of marijuana at home and on their person, in addition to legally growing up to eight plants at a time.

Minnesotans with minor marijuana convictions are also eligible to have their criminal records expunged, and residents from communities of color — which were disproportionately targeted for arrests and convictions for possession for decades — are given preferential status in applying for cannabis-related business licenses.

Republican lawmakers accused the Democratic majority at the Capitol of forcing through legislation that was full of loopholes that ultimately endanger youths and increase public safety risks, especially the prospect of more impaired drivers on state roads.

Driver’s licenses for undocumented Minnesotans

Walz also signed a bill into law in March 2023 that allows Minnesota residents of any immigration status the ability to obtain a driver’s license.

Advocates for the bill, which had strong backing from law enforcement, business and religious groups, said it would lead to safer roads and a stronger economy.

Opponents accused lawmakers and Walz of potentially opening up a Pandora’s box that could blur eligibility for voting and enrollment in other state programs.

Republican lawmakers also unsuccessfully sought to make special licenses for undocumented Minnesotans that would be easily distinguishable from the standard cards.

Restoration of voting rights for former felons

In that same watershed month, Walz signed a bill that restored the right to vote to more than 50,000 convicted felons who had already served their time.

“We are in a country of second chances, we’re a country of welcoming people back in. And the idea of not allowing those voices to have a say in the very governing of the communities they live in is simply unacceptable,” Walz said.

Several Republicans lambasted the legislation, saying those still serving probation for felonies should not have the right to vote. Sen. Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, went further, saying the law “opens our elections to being influenced by convicted felons and illegal immigrants.”

Universal school meals

Amid the increase in food insecurity for many Minnesotans during the pandemic, and the subsequent strain on the state’s food shelves that remains to this day, Walz signed a bill in March 2023 that ensures all K-12 students in the state have access to free breakfast and lunch on school days.

“As a former teacher, I know that providing free breakfast and lunch for our students is one of the best investments we can make to lower costs, support Minnesota’s working families, and care for our young learners and the future of our state,” Walz said.

Initially pegged to cost $388 million in the state’s two-year budget, the cost ballooned by more than $80 million, stoking sentiment among Republican lawmakers that the program is a waste of taxpayer funds, and largely provides meals for students of families that can easily afford to pay for them.

Walz’s clashes with Hennepin County’s attorney

In April 2023, Walz became the first Minnesota governor in three decades to reroute a criminal case from a county attorney to the state attorney general’s office.

The case involved the 2022 murder of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever. The father of her young child was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for orchestrating her death. Two teenage brothers, one of whom fired the fatal shots inside her Brooklyn Park apartment, were also sent to prison.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty originally put together a plea deal for the brothers that would’ve see them serve time in juvenile detention instead of being sent to adult facilites. The move angered McKeever’s family and community members, and their outcry led Walz to intervene and place the case in the hands of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Earlier this year, Moriarty faced fierce criticism for charging a White Minnesota state trooper in the death of a Black motorist in 2023. Her office eventually dropped the charges, and Walz told reporters soon after he had planned to intervene again if Moriarty hadn’t made “the right decision.”

Moriarty called Walz’s move in the McKeever case “deeply troubling” and alarming to “prosecutors across the state.” That sentiment was shared by the National Lawyers Guild, which called Walz’s conduct “not just wrong, but in the context of other decisions, shows that you are making these sensitive decisions based on political expedience.”

Following the end of the state trooper case in June 2024, Moriarty accused Walz of unfair treatment due to her gender and sexuality, as she is the first openly LGBTQIA+ Hennepin County attorney, pointing to the lack of criticism her predecessor Mike Freeman enjoyed.

When pressed by the media about Moriarty’s claims, Walz simply responded they were “false.”