Kamala Harris' VP pick Tim Walz on housing

After much speculation, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be her running mate. 

Walz may not have been a household name before this week, but the former social studies teacher's career in politics spans nearly 20 years. He's known for a progressive agenda that has included large investments in affordable housing in Minnesota. 

The governor emphasized that housing should be a bipartisan issue in his State of the State address back in March. 

"I know we won't agree on everything," Walz said at the time. "But safe streets? Clean water? Affordable housing? Surely we can agree on that."

First elected governor of Minnesota in 2018, Walz won re-election in 2022 with 52% of the vote. Currently in his second term, he chairs the Democratic Governors Association. His 2018 campaign received contributions from the Credit Union National Association and the Farm Credit Council, according to OpenSecrets. 

He left his small-town life behind in 2006 when he won his first election to the House of Representatives. He unseated a six-term Republican incumbent in the race and was re-elected for another five terms, serving Minnesota's conservative-leaning First Congressional District until 2019. 

Throughout his career, Walz has been involved in initiatives aiming to provide resources to low-income families and create affordable housing, protect tenants' rights and maintain infrastructure. 

As governor, Walz signed a $1 billion investment in housing into law last year. The money was allocated to reduce homeownership disparities, improve access to affordable housing and provide rental assistance. It included $200 million for down payment assistance, another $200 million for housing infrastructure, $135 million towards creation of workforce units and permanent funding for other needs. The law marked the largest single investment in housing in Minnesota history.

"As one of the largest costs for families and most foundational human needs, our administration is making a generational investment in housing," said Governor Walz upon signing the investment into law in May 2023. 

Just a few months later, Walz and his lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, approved $350 million for the preservation and development of 4,700 affordable properties across Minnesota. 

He also passed legislation in 2024 to protect renters. His new landlord-tenant law works to prevent unlawful discrimination against renters based on immigration status. The bill allows renters to establish tenant associations and limits late-payment fees in subsidized housing. The law also reforms eviction filings and records. Included in the law is a requirement for landlords to provide 14 days' written notice before an eviction filing for nonpayment of rent. 

During his six Congressional terms, Walz served as sponsor or co-sponsor of several bills pertaining to affordable housing issues and consumer protections as well. 

Among them was the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007, which sought to provide for the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of safe and affordable properties for low-income families. The bill passed in the House that year but did not make it out of the Senate. 

He also helped introduce several housing and banking-related bills that never got out of their respective committees. 

His Fairness for Homeowners Act of 2007 sought to prohibit any creditor or mortgage broker from facilitating a transaction secured by a consumer's home without verifying their ability to make housing payments. The Universal Default Prohibition Act of 2007 looked to add consumer protections by prohibiting creditors from using any adverse information unrelated to a customer's account as a basis for increasing their interest rates. 

As a congressman, Walz served on three House committees: Agriculture, Armed Services and Veterans Affairs. 

His interest in issues regarding veterans is personal, as his election to the House made him the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress, according to his official biography. Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 and retired 24 years later in 2005 as a command sergeant major.

While serving as governor, Walz has had more than sufficient funds to kickstart progressive actions in the state – a $17.5 billion state budget surplus as of February 2023, to be exact. He's used the money to fund his investments in affordable housing as well as other measures like paid medical leave. 

His use of the surplus has consistently drawn criticism from Republicans. Following the announcement that Walz would be joining Harris' ticket, The Donald Trump campaign said Walz has "spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State" by "spreading California's dangerously liberal agenda." 

Walz received criticism as governor from conservative opponents over various aspects of his agenda, including his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. His use of emergency powers to institute a mask mandate, shut down businesses and open a hotline number to report violations of social distancing rules led to several lawsuits, according to CBS News. One of them alleged that Walz illegally bypassed state lawmakers in issuing a peacetime emergency and reached the Minnesota Supreme Court, but all suits ultimately ruled he was justified. 

Before leading the state, Walz, a hunter representing a rural Minnesota district, had developed a pro-gun rights record that earned him "A" ratings and an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. He said in a 2010 statement he was "proud to stand with the NRA to protect our Second Amendment rights," according to Forbes.

The then-congressman had voted in favor of legislation that made it easier for "mentally competent" veterans to own firearms and repeatedly voted to undermine gun control laws, according to MinnPost. However, after the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which coincided with his campaign for governor, he changed his practices. His rating fell to "F," which he celebrated at the time, and he now leans against NRA interests by favoring background checks and a ban on bump stocks. 

Harris selected Walz in hopes that their combined ticket will help win over working-class voters in northern states, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

He entered the public eye most recently as an outspoken advocate for President Biden during his campaign and quickly endorsed Harris after she announced her run. He's also been vocal in his disapproval of his Republican opponents, which has garnered online attention. 

Now that Harris has secured the Democratic nomination, Walz will join a ticket that has touted affordable homeownership efforts, like the current administration's housing plan. At the signing of his state's housing legislation last year, Walz expressed views that sounded similar to elements of the Biden-Harris plan.  

"Housing is central to growing our workforce and ensuring Minnesotans' health, safety and financial security. Whether it's building new housing infrastructure, providing rental assistance or ensuring homeownership is an option for all Minnesotans, this bill will have a historic impact on the quality of life in Minnesota and move us towards becoming the best state to raise a family," Walz said at the time.