Tim Walz makes first Minnesota State Fair visit since becoming the Democratic VP nominee

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — Gov. Tim Walz made a short stop at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, his first as the Democratic nominee for vice president.

The visit stands in stark contrast to what he’s used to at the “Great Minnesota Get Together” — available to move more freely and make multiple trips over the course of the 12-day event. 

But his life has drastically changed since joining the Democratic presidential ticket. 

“I don’t get 12 days, which I usually get, and a little more of a disruption….more disruption to the other folks, but it’s exciting. We’re getting to talk about Minnesota across the country,” Walz said. 

Sunday marked his first and only visit to the fair, and it lasted just over half an hour in what was a highly secure and choreographed setting. U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement swarmed the area, some with K9 dogs searching the scene. Visitors had to go through metal detectors before entering the Dairy Building, where Walz spent most of his time.

He bypassed general admission entrances and arrived first at a stand to get a pork chop on a stick, before serving ice cream and milkshakes alongside his wife, Gwen, and daughter, Hope. The teenagers working the dairy counter said they didn’t know the governor was making an appearance until they saw the Secret Service arrive. He also had a brief conversation with this year’s Princess Kay of the Milky Way winner, as they looked at the butter sculptures.

Crowds chanted his name as he greeted fairgoers, taking photos with them along the way. Some wore merchandise like “Harris-Walz” buttons, T-shirts and hats. Others just outside had “Never Walz” signs.

“We started at the Ye Old Mill and then we thought, ‘Let’s go see butter sculptures’ and he was here,” said Kristen Lease of Eden Prairie, who said her brother-in-law texted her and her sister while waiting in line that Walz might be at the fair. “We were just elated, excited, giddy. We’ve been extremely happy since he’s been named to be the VP in August.”

Vice President Kamala Harris tapped Walz to be her running mate last month after she ascended to the top of the ticket following President Joe Biden’s dramatic exit from the race, which upended the campaign. Lease said she’s seen a new energy for Democrats since that happened.  

“When Kamala Harris was announced, we started to feel hope and when Tim Walz was announced as the VP nominee we started to feel joy,” she said. “I have felt happiness. I’ve done hope scrolling instead of doom scrolling online and i’m just really excited about them leading the country.”

In the four weeks since Walz catapulted from relatively unknown Democratic governor to the vice presidential nominee, he’s been crisscrossing the country making the case to voters why they should elect him and Harris to the White House. 

He heads to Wisconsin again late Monday and will barnstorm battleground Pennsylvania later in the week. 

When asked how he is still governing while on the campaign trail, Walz said he has a “good team” around him helping to manage his schedule. 

“We appointed three great judges last week in Ramsey County as you saw. Every night we go through all of the decision memos and meetings with the commissioners and I stay updated throughout the day. I’m in and out,” the governor said. 

He spoke with reporters for just a few minutes and did not respond to a question about the six hostages held by Hamas found dead in Gaza this weekend.

Gary Baron of Minnetonka said he is excited at the prospect of a Walz vice presidency and what comes next: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would be elevated to the top job, according to the line of succession in the Minnesota Constitution, if Walz becomes second to the commander in chief. 

“I think [Harris] chose the right person for the right job. I think he’ll do a wonderful job when and if they get elected, hopefully they will,” he said. “And I think his lieutenant governor will do a phenomenal job as governor coming in. So I think it’s a win-win all around for the country and the state.”

The governor is expected to meet with Minnesota labor leaders Monday, on Labor Day, before jetting off to Milwaukee for another campaign event.

Walz is no stranger to the state fair, and the fair often provides an enticing backdrop for candidates running for office. Last year the governor tried out the slingshot ride with his daughter Hope and during his gubernatorial reelection campaign in 2022, reiterated his support for abortion rights during an interview with WCCO’s Esme Murphy.

Last week, Harris and Walz sat down with CNN’s Dana Bash for their first major TV interview since becoming presidential and vice presidential nominees. 

Walz was pressed about his military service record: in a 2018 video, he mentioned “weapons of war that I carried in war,” although he didn’t face combat during his time in the National Guard. The Harris-Walz campaign official told news outlets that Walz “misspoke” at the time. Bash asked twice if Walz misspoke. 

“I said we were talking in this case, this was after a school shooting, the ideas of carrying these weapons of war,” Walz told Bash. “And my wife, the English teacher, tells me my grammar is not always correct. But again, if it’s not this, it’s an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it’s an attack on my dog. I’m not gonna do that. And the one thing I’ll never do is I’ll never demean another member’s service in any way. I never have, and I never will.” 

Bash also asked about the viral moment during the Democratic National Convention when his son Gus stood, clapped and tearfully shouted “That’s my dad!” during his vice presidential nomination speech.

“I don’t know, as a father, I could have ever imagined that,” Walz said. “I’m grateful for so many reasons to be on this ticket, but that moment, to understand what was really important to, to have my son feel a sense of pride in me, that I was trying to do the right thing, and it was, you know, you try and protect your kids. You know, it brings, it brings notoriety and things, but it was just such a visceral emotional moment that I’m, I’m just, I’m grateful I got to experience it and I’m so proud of him.”

The governor and his wife recently told People their son is a “brilliant” teenager whose “secret power” lies in his neurodivergence, as the teen lives with ADHD, an anxiety disorder and a non-verbal learning disorder.