Who is Gwen Walz? What to know about the wife of Kamala Harris’ running mate

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tim Walz as her running mate, the buzz around Minnesota’s governor has been about his political image as a folksy “Midwestern Dad.”

But what about his “running mate?”

Gwen Walz currently serves as Minnesota’s 39th first lady and could become second lady of the United States if the Democratic ticket succeeds in securing the White House this November.

As an educator, activist, and someone who describes herself as one of her husband’s closest advisers during his time as a congressman and governor, she already has a reputation as someone familiar with politics and the spotlight.

Background, passions and career

Born in Glencoe, Minnesota, Walz, 58, and her three sisters, were raised by parents Val and Linn who worked as teachers and small business owners.

After attending Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University, she followed in her family’s footsteps and became a teacher as well, focusing on English.

In addition to teaching in public, alternative and migrant schools, she also served as an administrator and coordinator for Mankato Area Public Schools for more than two decades.

In an episode of the “What If It Works” podcast released last month, she was interviewed by her former student, Ann Vote, who grew up to become a teacher herself.

Vote called Walz’s high school American Literature class her “most memorable.”

Said to be passionate about improving equity in education, Walz has also taught in prisons and expanded education among incarcerated populations.

She is an avid supporter of the Bard Prison Initiative, a program dedicated to providing college-level educational opportunities in prisons. With the help of other congressional spouses, she expanded the initiative to more than 11 states.

That included educational opportunities from prestigious institutions such as Notre Dame and Washington University, she said on the “What If It Works” podcast.

During the episode, she also discussed her work with the Eastern Correctional Facility where she helped establish a debate team that beat Harvard University’s team.

“The arguments were so unique and different than what was heard on the college debate circuit,” she said.

LGBTQ+ rights are of high importance to her as well, she’s said, and students recall her and her husband being strong allies back in the 1990s.

Jacob Reitan, a student at Mankato West High School in 1999, said he told Walz he was gay before he told his parents, and her ability to openly discuss gay issues during the 90s “meant the world to [him].”

The couple turned to politics due to dissatisfaction with the Iraq War and they sought to enact change, she said during the podcast interview.

Since becoming first lady of Minnesota in 2018, she set herself apart by becoming more heavily involved compared to other political spouses.

In fact, she is the very first first lady in Minnesota to establish her own office in the state Capitol, according to the Star Tribune.

“[Tim and I] do work really closely together, and there are issues where I do a lot of the work and share my thoughts,” she said on the podcast. “We are still one another’s closest advisers.”

She added that she also works closely with her husband’s chief of staff.

She has even proven capable of replacing her husband when the need arose.

The New York Times reported on a 2006 fundraising dinner for Tim Walz’s first congressional campaign, during which he suffered from laryngitis. A seasoned public speaker, the report said, she stepped in and delivered an eloquent speech on his behalf.

Met teaching at same high school

Known as Gwen Whipple at the time, she met Tim Walz while teaching at the same Nebraska high school.

They even shared a classroom at one point.

After their first date of dinner and a movie, Tim Walz apparently leaned in for a kiss which she declined. He replied, “That’s fine, but you should know I’m going to marry you,” the Star Tribune reported.

The couple wed in 1994.

“The first project we ever did together was Earth Day,” she recalled on the “What If It Works” podcast. “We thought, gosh, we really have complementary things about our styles that work well together.”

The Walzes were quick to combine their teaching talents, establishing an annual summer trip to China for their students.

They even spent their honeymoon on one of these trips, and the Star Tribune said that they sacrificed sharing a room to accommodate their odd number of students.

The two later relocated to her home state of Minnesota, where they expanded their teaching duties at Mankato West High School.

Per the Star Tribune, their relationship resembles a movie plot: He taught social studies; she taught English. He coached the football team; she coached the cheerleading team.

The Walzes have been married for 30 years and have two children, 23-year-old Hope and 17-year-old Gus.

Their children represent how their policy beliefs are quite personal to them, they say, particularly with regard to reproductive rights.

“When my wife and I decided to have children, we spent years going through infertility treatments, and I remember praying every night for a call for good news, the pit in my stomach when the phone rang, and the agony when we heard that the treatments hadn’t worked,” her husband, 60, reflected during his debut campaign event in Philadelphia earlier this month.

“So, it wasn’t by chance that when we welcomed our daughter into the world, we named her Hope,” he said.

On the campaign trail

He continues to proudly introduce his wife as he steps into his new role in the national spotlight.

“I can’t wait for all of you and America to get to know my incredible wife, Gwen, a 29-year public school educator,” her husband said during the Philadelphia rally.

Recognizing the daunting position she has been thrust into, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Harris’ husband, extended his support with a phone call following the official announcement of her husband as the vice presidential pick.

“I remember getting this call four years ago, and I actually know what you’re going through right now,” Emhoff reassured her. “But the good news is, I’ve already been through it.”

“I’m going to be there for you,” he added. “And we’re going to do this together.”

The Harris-Walz ticket and their spouses head back to Pennsylvania for a campaign bus tour on Sunday, just prior to the Democratic National Convention starting Monday.

“This is the first time all four principals have campaigned together, following the rally in Philadelphia earlier this month,” the campaign announced in a press release.

This campaign event will take on a more intimate feel as the candidates and their spouses plan to speak to voters individually in community settings, officials said.

Walz has also begun spearheading campaign events of her own, including a Utah Women for Kamala kickoff call on Thursday.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, she said she was “especially outraged” about former President Donald Trump’s platform, specifically in regards to public school funding and his stance on reproductive rights.

The report said the call raised over $50,000 for the Harris-Walz campaign.

ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.