Who is Gwen Walz? She could be next second lady

Gwen Walz could potentially be the next second lady if Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) win the White House in November.

Harris announced Tuesday that she selected the Minnesota governor to be her running mate, following weeks of speculation. Walz emerged as a dark horse contender for the vice presidential spot as other high-profile names, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) dominated the headlines.

Now, the Minnesota governor will join Harris as she kicks off a multistate campaign blitz Tuesday. Harris touted the governor’s record and his commitment to his family in a social media post announcing her running mate.

“But what impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope,” she said, referencing Walz’s wife and children. “Doug and I look forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values.”

Here’s what to know about Minnesota’s first lady, Gwen Walz.

Grew up in Minnesota

Gwen Walz is described as a “lifelong Minnesotan” in her official bio on the governor’s website. She was born in Glencoe and grew up in western Minnesota with three sisters.  

She later received degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., and Minnesota State University.

A longtime educator

She began her teaching career at a high school in western Nebraska, where she met her husband, according to her bio.

Her bio states that education is “one of Gwen’s passions” and that she has spent time teaching in public, alternative and migrant schools.

She later served as an administrator and coordinator in the Mankato Area Public Schools, where she worked “to eliminate the achievement gap and strive for more equity and access within education systems.”

She has also pushed for education reform in prisons across the country and has been an active supporter of The Bard Prison Initiative in upstate New York that helps incarcerated earn college degrees.

Her bio said she is working to bring similar programs to Minnesota and across the country.

Married in 1994

Gwen married Tim in 1994. They have two children, Hope and Gus.

The governor has opened up about the couple’s fertility challenges, telling The Star Tribune that they went through several fertility treatments. He recalled the day his wife called him crying and telling him that she was pregnant.

“I said, ‘Not again,’” Walz said. “She said, ‘No, I’m pregnant.’ It’s not by chance that we named our daughter Hope.”

The Harris campaign said in its statement Tuesday that the couples’ experience with fertility treatments shows “his commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to this care.”