Tim Walz, a heroic Midwest everyman, draws stark contrast to JD Vance

Even lifelong Republicans couldn’t help but show their support for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after he was announced as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate.

Women4U.S., a super PAC founded by Republican women including former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and former New Hampshire Republican Chair Jennifer Horn, released a statement Tuesday touting Walz’s combination of responsible fiscal policy with progressive social policy.

“As governor, he’s cut taxes for the middle class while balancing the budget, supported paid family leave so new mothers can be home to care for their children, expanded access to pre-kindergarten, and made sure that no Minnesota child goes hungry at school,” a release from Women4U.S. states.

We understand why members of the PAC are excited. Walz embodies the best qualities of the most revered public officials: honesty, integrity, public service, kindness and a commitment to listening to, learning from and serving Americans of all backgrounds and political stripes.

A 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, Walz is the longest-serving military veteran to seek the office of vice president since Harry Truman. Before retiring from the military in 2005, he achieved the rank of command sergeant major (CSM), one of the military’s highest enlisted ranks. He was decorated with an Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals, and in 1989, he was named Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year.

While serving in the National Guard, Walz also served as an educator, coach and mentor for the youth of the rural Nebraska and Minnesota communities he lived in, working as a high school teacher, football coach and faculty adviser to several student organizations.

In 1999, Walz made headlines after leading Mankato West High School to its first-ever state football championship while simultaneously serving as the faculty adviser of the school’s first gay-straight alliance.

“It wasn’t a popular position at the time for a red-district Democrat,” wrote Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., on the social media platform X. Craig is one of 12 out LGBTQ members of Congress. “It didn’t score him any political points. But he stood up for families like mine because he believed it was the right thing to do. His bravery made a difference in my life and the lives of thousands of Minnesotans — and it’s a bravery that would make our country better.”

In 2007, Walz was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was a stalwart champion for men and women in uniform. He earned the 2013 “legislator of the year” from the Air Force Sergeants Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to representing the interests of current active-duty and retired members of the Air Force, and was among the 10 most bipartisan members of Congress, according to the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy.

In 2018, Walz engaged in perhaps his most publicly visible demonstration of courage and integrity. As a lifelong gun rights advocate, he had previously received “A” grades and multiple endorsements from the National Rifle Association. But in the aftermath of the Parkland High School massacre in Florida, he denounced the NRA’s response to the shooting and its staunch opposition to “commonsense reforms” like universal background checks and banning bump stocks.

In a statement on X, Walz explained his position on gun control by writing: “I’m a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner. But I’m also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher. I know basic gun safety isn’t a threat to my rights. It’s about keeping our kids safe.”

We agree and applaud Walz’s commitment to commonsense gun reforms.

Walz’s service to his country and his community stand in stark contrast to his Republican counterpart, JD Vance.

In just a few short weeks, Vance’s VP bid has already been plagued by repeated instances of cruelty and stupidity. Among the most notable are the recordings of Vance referring to women without children as “miserable” and “sociopathic,” Vance’s X post referring to Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a “fake holiday” and Vance’s $100,000 investment in a biopharmaceutical firm accused of torturing and killing animals, including dogs.

When Harris announced Walz as her running mate, Vance wasted no time inserting his foot into his mouth once again.

On Tuesday, Vance told reporters that Walz “wants to make the American people more reliant on garbage energy.” While we understand that Vance may feel a sense of loyalty to Appalachian coal, referring to clean renewables such as solar and wind as “garbage energy” is both false and extremely shortsighted.

Renewables have brought hundreds of thousands of jobs to Western states like Nevada and Arizona, helped protect our planet for future generations and reduced America’s reliance on foreign energy sources, making us more resilient in the face of wars and natural disasters. Indeed, even the largest fossil fuel companies and energy rich states like Texas have eagerly jumped into renewables.

But none of this matters to Vance because he isn’t a serious leader or policy maker. He isn’t interested in good governance and building a prosperous nation as much as he’s interested in building power and wealth for himself and his billionaire benefactors.

Walz is the portrait of leader with an all-American story and who values all of us. In contrast, Vance has no values or convictions. He’s a chameleon and will be whatever his donors want him to be whenever they want him to be as long as they keep picking up the tab. It’s shameful and pathetic. Vance is like the craven villain in a Frank Capra movie and Walz is the hero who embodies noble American values: strength, bravery, wisdom and kindness.

We applaud Harris for her selection of Minnesota’s governor as her running mate. Walz is a demonstrated leader and a man of true moral and ethical conviction. He has shown time and time again his willingness to stand up for what he believes is right, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. We believe that, like Harris, Walz can be a leader for all Americans.