What Walz's story reveals about how he might take on Vance: NPR

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (left) and gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen lead a gubernatorial debate at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on Oct. 28, 2022.

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Tim Walz looked into the television camera and ran through a seemingly rehearsed series of points he wanted to make in one of his first political debates, just days before the 2006 election that would catapult him from the classroom to the United States Congress.

“We have the opportunity here to exercise the greatest of all American gifts: the ability to choose and vote for a representative who will lead this country in the direction you believe is best,” Walz said at the conclusion of the debate. “My optimism in this country is so great.”

That moment pales in comparison to what awaits Walz on Tuesday, when the two-term Minnesota governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee enters a debate with Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president.

While Walz still presents himself as a positive candidate, the hits will be tough and he won't have the chance to be a rookie. With a national audience watching — and Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump running a tight race — he won't be able to afford any slip-ups.

Walz's track record suggests he will focus on his work before entering politics as a teacher, assistant football coach and member of the Army National Guard. Those who have discussed him before say Walz has a down-to-earth style that's relatable – but that approach can also cause him problems.

Walz relies on his biography to draw contrasts

Since beginning his political career nearly 20 years ago, Walz has often emphasized his Midwestern roots and his personal biography. In one of his first debates during his first candidacy for the US House of Representatives in 2006, he contrasted himself with his Republican opponent.

“What I think my opponent doesn't realize – he talks about the arena as a bubble within the beltway of Washington, D.C. I was in the arena of public life,” Walz said during The Debate. “What I think I bring is a real-life experience where I know I don't have the luxury of being partisan. I don't have the luxury of being rigid.

In 2024, Walz is expected to draw on his pre-political background again when he meets Vance on the debate stage in New York.

Walz, now in his second term as governor, has admitted that debate is not his forte. He said MSNBC Earlier this month, he revealed that the match will give voters a glimpse into what sets him apart from Vance – both in terms of his style and his political views.

“He’s a Yale law student. I'm a public school teacher, so we know where he stands. I think it's a good opportunity to contrast our current situation,” Walz said after the ABC debate between Trump and Harris earlier this month.

“You'll hear me talk about things that impact Americans, how I make sure they have the opportunity to succeed, how we stay objective and how we talk about it,” he continued.

He has to defend Harris' record (and his own).

Tim Walz watches as Vice President Harris speaks during a campaign rally Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. In his upcoming debate against Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Walz will try to articulate Harris' vision for the country, but will also have to answer for his own record.

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In addition to articulating Harris' vision for the country, Walz must also answer for his own record over nearly two decades in politics. That includes the violence in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd, the pandemic and a variety of policy decisions as governor over the past six years.

Walz was pressured on all three counts during a 2022 gubernatorial debate at an agricultural fair. Republican Scott Jensen told an audience in rural Minnesota that Walz had been too harsh in imposing restrictions related to these and other issues.

“Let the farmers farm. Let the miners mine. Let the teachers teach. And let the government get the hell out of the way,” Jensen said to applause from supporters.

Walz was visibly upset by the comments and rose from his seat to reject the criticism and defend his administration's approach.

“You can have wishful thinking and hope that you know COVID wasn't real … but those are not the facts,” Walz told the crowd. “And as governor you have to deal with that.”

Jensen says he feels he can put the governor on the defensive by focusing his answers on the areas where Walz was weakest.

“I tried to go back to two or three deficiencies in his leadership style so that by the end of the debate the audience would have the general impression that Tim Walz was slow to act as a leader or that Tim Walz was unwilling to do so immediately.” what he thought was best because he wanted to check with his support base first,” Jensen said.

His folksy style can be a double-edged sword

Jensen and others who have debated Walz note that the governor is affable and folksy. And they say his move to downplay expectations – a classic pre-debate tactic – could help him achieve a more successful outcome.

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy knows from experience. She debated Walz when the two ran for the 2018 Democratic nomination for governor, which Walz won after a tough race.

“He’s a clear person,” Murphy said. “He’s not giving up, and he’s going to tell people straight up what he thinks we need to do.”

But that loose speaking style can also cause problems for Walz, said Paul Gazelka, a former Republican majority leader in the Minnesota Senate. He wanted to take on Walz for re-election in 2022, but was passed over by the Republican Party this year.

“Sometimes he speaks spontaneously, which may not have gotten him in trouble in Minnesota,” Gazelka said, “but if that's the case now, it's going to get him in trouble.”

He referenced a comment by the governor that members of the Minnesota National Guard were “19-year-old line cooks” as he defended his response to the violence in Minneapolis following Floyd's death. Things didn't go down well in the weeks that followed.

The Harris-Walz campaign is trying to avoid a similar stumble during the debate. They said the focus will be on Walz introducing himself to viewers and illustrating what a Harris presidency would mean for the country.