Who is Gwen Walz, the wife of Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ VP pick?

After weeks of speculations, Kamala Harris finally revealed her choice for the 2024 vice presidential spot. On Tuesday, the Democrat presidential candidate announced that she has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

While announcing her running mate in a social media post, Harris touted the Minnesota governor’s record and his policies and but said what “impressed her the most” was his commitment to his wife of 30 years Gwen Walz, and their family.

“What impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope,” Harris stated, referring to 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."

With the spotlight now shifting to the Minnesota governor’s wife, Gwen Walz, here’s a closer look at the potential future second lady.

Passion for teaching

Gwen Walz, née Whipple, grew up in Glencoe, about 55 miles west of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her parents, Val and Linn, and her three sisters. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University, Gwen began her teaching career at Alliance High School in rural Nebraska.

Her bio states that education is “one of Gwen’s passions” and describes her commitment to teaching in public, alternative, and migrant schools.

It was during her time teaching English at Alliance High School that Gwen crossed paths with Tim Walz, who was also a faculty member, teaching social studies. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Gwen first became intrigued by Tim’s engaging teaching style while overhearing his dynamic lessons. The two had their first date at a screening of the 1993 dark dramedy Falling Down, followed by a meal at Hardee’s.

Married in June 1994, the couple chose to spend their honeymoon in China, leading an educational trip for students. Shortly after, they even founded a company Educational Travel Adventures, which organised annual educational trips to China for students.

After two years, they relocated to Minnesota, where they both continued their teaching careers at Mankato West High School. Tim also took on coaching football, while Gwen transitioned into an administrative role with Mankato Area Public Schools. In this position, her bio reads, she focused on “eliminating the achievement gap and striving for more equity and access within education systems.”

Gwen remained dedicated to her role until Tim was elected Governor of Minnesota in 2019.

Life as first lady

When Tim Walz became governor in 2019, Minnesota had not had a first lady for eight years, as his predecessor, Mark Dayton, was unmarried. Gwen Walz embraced the role with enthusiasm and redefined it by becoming the first Minnesota first lady to have an office in the Capitol.

“We’ve always worked closely together,” Gwen said in a 2019 interview with Minnesota Public Radio. “Tim suggested I have a desk in his office, but I chose to set up my own down the hall.”

Gwen introduced herself on the political stage with an ambitious policy portfolio, focusing on criminal justice reform and education. As Minnesota’s first lady, she has championed efforts to restore voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences. She toured state prisons and chaired a task force on reducing recidivism, focusing on providing housing and education to former prisoners.

In her quest to reform the criminal justice system, Gwen sought to improve the curricula offered to inmates. Her advocacy extended beyond Minnesota, as she promoted the Bard Prison Initiative, a program in upstate New York that aims to provide prisoners with a liberal arts education.

“She has worked across the country to bring educational opportunities to incarcerated women and men, whom she calls ‘students,’” her biography from the Minnesota Governor’s Office states. “Gwen believes that by integrating education into our corrections system, we can significantly reduce recidivism rates and truly transform lives.”

Gwen also played a key role in the hiring process for the new commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections and has been a vocal advocate for gun control measures supported by her husband’s administration.

Gwen is also on the board for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.

Her family

The Walz family is composed of two children, Hope, 23, and Gus, 17. Earlier this year, Tim Walz revealed that he and Gwen underwent IVF treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after struggling with fertility issues.

In an interview with the Star Tribune, Tim shared that they named their daughter Hope because they had spent seven years undergoing fertility treatments before Gwen finally became pregnant. Hope was born in 2001, and Gus followed in 2006.

In September 2019, the family welcomed Scout, a three-month-old black Lab mix they rescued. Last Christmas, the family grew once more with the adoption of Honey, an orange and white rescue cat, after their previous cat, Afton, wandered away.

With input from agencies