How Tim Walz could help Harris connect with veterans

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joins the Democratic ticket with a record of military service and work on veterans’ issues that could help Vice President Kamala Harris make the argument that the Democratic Party is the one that can protect the country’s national security.

Harris’ pick for vice president has a thin foreign policy resume and his stances largely mirror that of his running mate. Yet Walz also spent 24 years in the Army National Guard before retiring as a command sergeant major, making him the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to serve in Congress when he joined the House in 2007. While he was deployed abroad to regions including the Arctic Circle during his military service, he did not serve in a combat zone, unlike his Republican counterpart, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

That background could also bolster Harris, who has been a top surrogate for President Joe Biden on the world stage but has no military background.

Walz has been noted primarily for his ability to connect with rural voters, having won election to Congress in a traditionally Republican area. But Walz could also buttress Democrats’ appeal among veterans and servicemembers.

In 12 years serving in the House before returning to Minnesota as governor, Walz racked up a lengthy track record on military personnel and veterans’ issues. He rose to become the ranking Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and served multiple stints on the Armed Services Committee.

Like his running mate, Walz also earned a reputation for bucking his party on military issues. As a member of Congress, Walz opposed President George W. Bush’s troop surge in Iraq, though he still voted to continue military funding to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was an early advocate for repealing the military’s "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring servicemembers from serving if they came out as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Walz joined with Republicans in 2016 to oppose cuts to the Army’s troop levels meant to save money -- a trend that continues today. He argued doing so would leave the service without the manpower to meet growing worldwide threats. As a Guard veteran and co-chair of the House National Guard and Reserve caucus, Walz advocated for the part-time force, arguing Pentagon strategies and plans should better integrate the Guard and Reserves to make use of scarce Army resources.

Walz’s likely biggest legislative achievement in Congress, however, was clearing bipartisan veterans’ suicide prevention legislation that became law in 2015.

As governor, Walz co-chairs the Council of Governors, a bipartisan committee of state executives that advises federal officials on Guard, homeland defense and civil support operations. In that role, he teamed up with Democratic and Republican governors to oppose a Biden administration proposal to move state Air National Guard units that perform missions into the Space Force.

On foreign policy, Walz’s record is more scant. Since becoming governor, he has commented minimally on the major geopolitical flashpoints the U.S. is currently navigating. But the actions he has taken and comments he has made since becoming governor diverge little from his running mate’s messaging.

On Israel, He condemned the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel and posted on X on Oct. 20 in praise of Biden’s deal securing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Walz supported legislation ending the state of Minnesota’s investments in Russia and Belarus in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As a member of Congress, he didn’t develop pronounced international bona fides. POLITICO reviewed foreign travel reports from his time in Congress and found that Walz participated in a handful of congressional delegations during his six terms in the House. He visited Pakistan and Kuwait in 2008, Turkey, Afghanistan and Germany in 2012, the Philippines in 2013 and China and Hong Kong in 2016.

Walz opposed retaliatory strikes in Syria in 2013 after the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons against civilians. Walz expressed support for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action deal with Iran to curb its nuclear weapons programs. He also voiced support for the Obama administration’s opening of diplomatic ties with Cuba, arguing it would benefit farmers in his state.

Walz’s background on China could also be a politically volatile aspect of his resume. The geography-teacher-turned-politician taught in China as part of the now-defunct volunteer teaching program WorldTeach and he and his wife ran a company that took high school juniors and seniors to China for summer educational visits. He also speaks Mandarin.

It is possible that Republicans could criticize the Minnesota Democrat as potentially soft on Beijing, especially since Walz, like Harris, opposed Trump’s trade war with China.

But Walz was no dove to China during his years in Washington. As a member of Congress, he met with the Dalai Lama and served on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, an institutional watchdog within the U.S. government that monitors human rights and the rule of law in China.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the nature of Sen. JD Vance's military service in Iraq.