Vice President Kamala Harris named Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate after President Joe Biden decided to drop out of the race last month. Walz’s recent comments about former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance, particularly his comments about the “weird” qualities of the opposition, helped put the little-known progressive on the national map .
Before his cable news comments went viral and Harris thrust him into the national spotlight, the former soldier, football coach and high school teacher was in the midst of a surprisingly ambitious and productive second term as chief executive of the North Star State. Walz, a progressive with a rural background and a penchant for coalition building, was able to capitalize on a shaky Democratic trifecta to pursue a host of progressive priorities. The biggest of these came just months after the 2022 midterm elections, when Walz signed a law requiring the state’s utilities to get 100% of their electricity from clean energy sources by 2040. The state is rising rapidly. It is a blue state and a purple state.
“This is not about building political capital for the next election,” Walz said last year. “This is burning political capital to improve lives.” Walz, however, appears to have extra political capital – as of February, his approval rating in his home state was 55 percent.
As governor, Walz also signed bipartisan legislation to reform Minnesota’s permitting process for clean energy projects, funded clean energy job training programs for minority and low-income Minnesotans, approved new clean transportation standards, and Enacted a law directing the appropriation of $240 million to replace clean energy projects in the state. In other states, Republicans (and even some centrist Democrats) have tried to portray politicians responsible for an ambitious climate agenda as people bent on raising energy prices and generally out of touch with the public. But Walz’s reputation as a regular guy and his skills as a communicator may insulate him from typical anti-climate attacks.
“I think he has a very comprehensive climate record,” said Paul Austin, director of Conservation Minnesota, a state environmental nonprofit. “He tried to bring people together from different communities and regions to find solutions that worked for everyone. That was part of his signature.
Walz’s experience in Minnesota could prove beneficial to Harris as she builds on the progress of the Biden administration to develop a dynamic legislative agenda. Biden’s top policy achievement is the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which is providing billions of dollars to states and tribes for clean energy projects and deployment. Congress is unlikely to pass another similar law anytime soon. That’s especially true if Trump is re-elected, but it’s a safe bet even if Harris wins the White House — polls show whichever party controls the Senate, House or both is likely to gain a slim majority. Most of the climate action we will see in the coming years will likely come from the states.
During the Trump administration, many states had taken a leadership role on climate change before the Inflation Reduction Act was passed. But as federal clean energy incentives are flowing across the country, more states are ready to spend money on renewable energy and climate projects. “It’s great to have the help of someone who has been a governor and has seen firsthand how the federal government operates and performs its duties,” Austin said. “He will bring a wealth of experience about how states and the federal government work together and how to smooth and improve that cooperation. ”
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here. Grist is a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling the stories of climate solutions and a just future. Please visit Grist.org to learn more.
