Who is Tim Walz, whose name featured on shooter’s ‘hit list’ left behind after Democrat leader Melissa Hortman’s death?

Governor Tim Walz’ name reportedly featured in the list of next potential targets of the Minnesota shooter who shot down Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The shooter also shot Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette early Saturday morning, but both of them are currently recovering, as confirmed by Walz, in a briefing. 

Who is Tim Walz? 

Tim Walz is the kind of leader who really embodies that Midwestern grit and heart. Born in Nebraska back in 1964, he enlisted in the Army National Guard at just 17 and served for 24 years, retiring as a command sergeant major. 

Walz got his start in Congress in 2006, flipping a conservative Minnesota district by focusing on rural issues and veterans’ affairs—something personal for him as the son of a veteran. Back then, he was seen as more of a moderate “Blue Dog Democrat,” even earning an “A rating” from the NRA and breaking with his party to oppose the 2008 bank bailout. 

As the Governor of Minnesota, a role he’s held since 2019, Walz has leaned into progressive values while keeping the down-to-earth pragmatism. After Democrats won full control of the state government in 2022, he pushed through what some call a “Minnesota Miracle 2.0”, which involves signing laws to protect abortion rights, mandate 100% clean energy by 2040, among other initiatives. Republicans criticize him for moving left, but he’d argue it’s about core values, like when he said restricting abortion isn’t actually “moderate”. He is himself a gun owner and hunter, yet has backed universal background checks, showing that nuanced approach he’s known for. 

He then went ahead to become Kamala Harris’ running mate in US Presidential elections in 2024, but ended up on the losing side, as Donald Trump and JD Vance clinched a massive victory. VP dreams dashed, Walz went back to governing Minnesota, where the political situation has now lopsided due to the recent shooting, where his name has also reportedly featured in the shooter’s ‘hit list’.