Timothy James Walz (born April 6, 1964) is an American politician, former educator, and Army National Guard veteran who has served as the **41st governor of Minnesota** since January 2019.[1][6] A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he was elected governor in 2018 and re‑elected in 2022.[1][6] Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, and raised in a rural community.[1][5] He enlisted in the **Army National Guard** at age 17 and served for 24 years, retiring as a command sergeant major.[2][5] He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science education from Chadron State College and later a master’s in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato.[2][4] Walz worked as a high school teacher and football coach, including at Mankato West High School, and previously taught on the Pine Ridge Reservation and in China through a Harvard-affiliated program.[2][4][5] Entering politics, Walz was elected in 2006 to the U.S. **House of Representatives** for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, a largely rural and traditionally conservative area, and served six terms from 2007 to 2019.[1][2] In Congress he served on the Agriculture, Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs committees, and held leadership roles on subcommittees dealing with farm policy and veterans’ issues.[2][5] As governor, Walz has overseen Minnesota’s responses to the **COVID‑19 pandemic** and the civil unrest following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.[1] His administration has emphasized education, health care, and economic support for working families, and he has signed legislation expanding paid leave, cutting certain fees, and lowering some prescription drug costs.[3][6] In 2023 he approved a public safety bill establishing **universal background checks** and “red flag” laws for firearms.[1][3] Minnesota under Walz also codified abortion rights in state law after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, keeping the state a regional access point for reproductive health services.[3] Walz was identified as a **vice‑presidential candidate in the 2024 election cycle**, raising his national profile beyond Minnesota politics.[2][3]