The Tragic, Real-Life Story Of Tim & Gwen Walz

In August of 2024, it was announced that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris had chosen her running mate. Her pick for VP turned out to be Minnesota's Governor, Tim Walz, a politician with a no-nonsense Midwestern sensibility and a great sense of humor. Many have found Walz to be endearing as he publicly praises his wife and two children, speaks about his time as a teacher and football coach, and ribs the Republicans for their "weird" behavior.

Tim Walz may be a smiley, down-to-earth, likable guy, but his backstory is fraught with obstacles and tragedy. After losing his father as a teenager, he went on to achieve many goals, such as graduating from college and becoming an educator. He met his wife, Gwen, while working in a school, and they had a sweet romance. But starting a family proved to be a heartbreaking endeavor that has informed some of Walz's political policies.

He is no stranger to loss. And, while he clearly adores his family, his own childhood had its difficult times. Through it all, Tim Walz has remained optimistic and determined, and despite the tragedies he has endured, his future looks very bright.

Tim Walz grew up in Valentine, Nebraska, a small town with more cows than people. Walz was raised by his parents, James Walz, a school superintendent, and Darlene Walz, a homemaker. Tim worked at a ranch outside of town and thrived during his freshman year of high school as a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, and golf.

It seems he had it pretty good, but then tragedy struck his family. His father was diagnosed with lung cancer, and the family had to move to the even smaller town of Butte to be closer to relatives who could help. "He was a chain smoker. Just addicted," Walz told Kamala Harris during a YouTube conversation in August 2024.

While his family struggled to keep up with medical bills, Walz attended a school where his sophomore class had around two dozen students, many of whom were his own cousins. "Growing up in a small town like that, you learn how to take care of each other," Walz said during his speech at the Democratic National Convention. He continued to play football but was unsure if college was in his future due to his family's financial burden. Walz joined the National Guard just days after turning 17 and was able to attend Chadron State College on the GI Bill.

When Tim Walz was in college in 1984, he learned his father's health had taken a turn for the worse and was asked to come to the hospital. "My father had passed into a coma some days before," Walz said in a video during his 2018 gubernatorial run. "I remember sitting in that hospital room, no one really knowing what to do...because the question was about keeping him on life support, and having to make decisions about that for your dad...this I think shaped me later in life." Walz was just nineteen years old when his father passed away.

In addition to grieving, the Walz family also had to deal with a staggering amount of medical debt. "My mom was a stay-at-home mom. She became our rock and now she had to go out and get work because the medical bills broke her," Walz shared with Harris during their sit-down conversation. He also spoke about social security benefits being something that helped his family get through their difficult time. "We're fine pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps; we had no boots. That's the boots." Walz explained.

After graduating from college, Tim Walz became a geography teacher and football coach at Alliance High School in Alliance, Nebraska. It was there that he met his future wife, Gwen, an English teacher, with whom he sometimes shared a classroom. "We've always worked really closely together," Gwen told MPR News. "It seemed proximity was really important." Tim took his future wife on a first date and proclaimed he would one day marry her. He was right and the two wed in 1994. Tim and Gwen Walz's marriage was a happy one, but their dreams of starting a family together took a long time to materialize.

Gwen told Glamour, "Like millions of families across the country, for years, Tim and I tried to start a family through fertility treatments." She described the experience as extremely difficult, explaining, "...the anxiety, the agony, and the desperation that can eat away at your soul." For many years, Tim and Gwen Walz suffered in silence, as they were hesitant to open up to others about their infertility struggles. "Like so many who have experienced these challenges, we kept it largely to ourselves at the time," Gwen shared.

With the help of fertility treatments, Tim and Gwen Walz welcomed their daughter, Hope, in 2001, and their son, Gus, in 2006. Tim has shared his and Gwen's story during speeches while running for vice president to highlight the importance of women's reproductive rights. "When and if to start a family is one of our most basic freedoms in this country," he told Glamour.

In 2016, while Tim Walz was a congressman for the state of Minnesota, he experienced another devastating loss. His brother, Craig Walz, was killed during a camping trip when a severe storm passed through the area. Craig, a chemistry and geometry teacher, was just forty-three when he died. He was with his eight-year-old son, Jacob, at the time, who was seriously injured when a tree fell on their campsite at Duncan Lake in Minnesota.

A spokesperson for Tim Walz released a statement confirming the tragic news, thanking first responders and other campers for their help. "The family is also grateful for the messages of support and prayers they have received. They are devastated by the loss and ask for privacy at this time," the statement read in part (via KARE).

Tim also posted updates about his nephew's condition in a CaringBridge post. Jacob, who was initially in critical condition began making progress, and his uncle was grateful. "Jake opened his eyes at 5:50 p.m. and looked at his mom! He wiggled his toes! Thank you for the outpouring of love from so many. Jake is strong like his dad always was," Tim said in his post. 

In 2018, Tim Walz was elected governor of Minnesota. It was a tumultuous time for the country with mounting police brutality against people of color. This hit close to home for Walz when George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May of 2020. He was unarmed and begging for help as Officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground and knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. Floyd's death led to protests around the country, including Minnesota.

Gwen Walz told 5 Eyewitness News that she and Tim felt "just absolute grief" upon hearing the news of Floyd's murder. The pandemic had tested Walz's leadership as governor of Minnesota, but Floyd's death had the entire country paying attention. "Again, we had more sleepless nights during the riots. I could smell the burning tires, and that was a very real thing. I kept the windows open as long as I could because I felt like that was such a touchstone of what was happening," Gwen revealed.

Gwen Walz said she and her husband turned to family and friends for support and prayed during the difficult time. She also shared that Tim allowed himself to express his stress and their grief. "He doesn't throw himself down on the bed and sob, but there have been tears," she said.

Being added to the presidential ticket thrust Walz into the spotlight in a big way, which meant public scrutiny. It came to light that Tim and his older brother Jeff did not have a great relationship. Jeff, a registered Republican, took to social media and made several cryptic posts about his brother on Facebook. He said in one, "The stories I could tell," and "Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future" in another (via The New York Times).

He later walked back his somewhat damning comments, clarifying in an interview with NewsNation that the "stories" he was referring to were as innocent as Tim getting carsick as a kid and no one wanting to sit next to him. "There's really nothing else hidden behind there. People are assuming something else. There's other stories like that, but I think that probably gives you the gist of it," he added.

It seems the siblings grew apart as adults and, although they came together for the funeral of their brother Craig in 2016, their political differences kept them at odds. Tim and Jeff Walz's sister, Sandra Dietrich, told The New York Times, "They all have their own opinions, and I have mine. They're my brothers and I love them." Dietrich added that her brother Tim and Vice President Harris would have her vote in the 2024 election.

In August of 2024, Tim and Gwen told People that their son has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder, calling these "his secret power." When Tim took the stage at The Democratic National Convention, he was greeted with enthusiasm from the crowd, and Gus was clearly his biggest fan. During his speech, Walz took a moment to thank his family, saying, "...you are my entire world and I love you." A visibly emotional Gus stood up and cheered, clapping and pointing up at the stage, saying, "That's my dad!" It was a moving moment for everyone watching, except for some mean-spirited right-wing figures.

Conservative radio host Jay Weber aired his nasty remarks on X, posting, "...If the Walzs represent today's American man, this country is screwed: 'Meet my son, Gus. He's a blubbering b*tch boy..." After facing serious criticism, he deleted the post, and apologized to the Walz family, saying, "Having been a teacher, I've had a standard of never involving children, I broke that and I'm disappointed with myself."

Conservative pundit Ann Coulter commented "Talk about weird ..." in response to Gus's emotional reaction in a since-deleted post on X. The post was captured before it was deleted, however, by Rosie O'Donnell, who shared the screenshot on Instagram with the caption, "Talk about a cruel heartless woman – she's the worst." Coulter tried to explain away her comment on X, writing, "I took it down as soon as someone told me he's [autistic], but it's Democrats who go around calling everyone weird thinking it's hilariously funny."