Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential candidate for the upcoming 2024 election. Walz is married to Gwen Walz, who was previously known as Gwen Whipple before their marriage in 1994. Gwen, an educator with a background in public service, has been instrumental in promoting educational reform and wellness programs throughout Minnesota.

Gwen Walz Tim Walz Wife

They married in 1994


Tim Walz and Gwen met while working as teachers in western Nebraska. They began taking their students on summer trips to China, a tradition they continued until 2003. In 1994, they got married after several years of dating. The couple spent their honeymoon in China, leading high school tour groups during their trip, as noted by the Journal Star.

Gwen Walz is a Minnesota native who holds degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University. She has experience in education, having taught English in Nebraska and worked as an administrator in Mankato Area Public Schools. Additionally, she co-founded Education Travels, Inc. with Tim to organize educational trips to China for American high school students starting in 1999.

Tim Walz with his wife and children

According to the report from KMSP-TV, Tim Walz taught social studies classes and coached football at Mankato Area Public Schools. Gwen is involved with the Bard Prison Initiative in New York, focusing on education for inmates.

They have two children, one daughter named Hope and son named Gus


Walz opened up about Gwen's seven-year journey with fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, during an interview with the Star Tribune. After years of struggling to conceive, the couple finally welcomed their daughter Hope in January 2001 and their son Gus in October 2006. Walz expressed his gratitude for reproductive health care like IVF in a heartfelt Facebook post.

Hope, who registered to vote in 2019 and has a fishing license, was seen in an Instagram photo posted by the governor in 2023. The governor mentioned that fly-fishing was his "new favorite way" for them to spend time together. Publicly available records show that Hope attended the University of Minnesota.

In October 2023, he shared a photo of his son passing his driver's license exam, expressing his joy as a father. Back in April 2019, he posted a picture from his daughter's senior prom in Mankato, expressing how proud he was to be her dad.