Before he got his start in politics, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chosen on Tuesday to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, was a longtime educator – just like his wife.
Gwen Walz has taught in public, alternative and migrant schools, as well as prisons. She also served as an administrator and coordinator at Mankato Area Public Schools, a school district in the congressional district her husband represented from 2007 to 2019.
Her first public event as Minnesota first lady was a rally in support of voting rights restoration for felons. She has also toured state prisons and helped recruit an assistant commissioner working to install a new college curriculum behind prison walls, among other things, according to a report from Minnesota Public Radio.
“Gwen understands that corrections must be an inclusive component of our education system, and by expanding opportunity, our state can dramatically reduce recidivism rates and most importantly, transform lives,” reads her official biography page.
Walz first met her husband in western Nebraska, where she began her career teaching English, according to her official biography. They were married in 1994, Shortly after, the two established Educational Travel Adventures, Inc., which organized annual educational trips to China for students.
The couple have two children: Hope, a recent graduate of Montana State University, and Gus, who is in high school.
Speaking about her husband shortly after he took office in 2019, Walz told Twin Cities PBS: “I make no mistake about it, Tim is going to make the decisions. And he did when he was in Congress. And I think we worked toward usually the same end, but we really trust one another.”
Walz was born in Glencoe, Minnesota, and grew up in the western part of the state. Both her parents were teachers and small-business owners. Walz was educated at Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.