18 Oct Tim Walz Could Bridge Gap Between Gen Z, More Traditional Voters

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks Aug. 9 at an Arizona rally for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris days after she chose him as her running mate. (“Tim Walz” by Gage Skidmore via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license)

By Natasha Kaye and Danielle Parenteau-Decker

Younger voters and more liberal people who often express frustration with a lack of racial and gender diversity among the nation’s political leaders may be lining up to support Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — a 60-year-old white man from the rural Midwest  — to be vice president.

“Listen, me, all of my friends, and pretty much everyone I know really are kind of just sick of this old white man versus old white man game,” said Sarah Hamza, 22, a recent UC Berkeley graduate from Tustin.

Hamza’s stance may hold true for many young adults in the U.S. As a racially and ethnically diverse generation, Gen Z has demonstrated progressive values at the polls and in a desire to see more people of color and gender diversity in politics.

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But many young progressives are shifting their attitude, supporting one “old white man” in Walz.

“He has this vibe that comes off as just very likable,” said Lucas Childs, a 27-year-old vet tech from El Sobrante. “Like he had all the makings to be this toxic, right-wing Minnesotan, but he’s not. I hate this saying, but I feel like I would get a beer with him, you know?”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris announced Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6. Just two days later, the Washington Post said “that the internet has already cast him as America’s dad.”

“Tim Walz beeps at you at a red light, motions for you to put your window down, and tells you that your right rear tire could use some air,” the Post quoted one social media user as an example of how many online started portraying Walz as a guy who cares (and is good with cars).

Indeed, he quickly inspired a slew of good-natured social media posts, including memes celebrating his policies and personality, along with many drawing a stark contrast between Walz and his Republican counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

“Tim Walz is the guy who puts menstrual products in school restrooms. J.D. Vance is the guy who points and laughs at girls with stains,” posted one Reddit user.

For many, the Harris-Walz ticket represented a welcome departure from the presidential race that appeared to be in store.

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The 2020 showdown between Joe Biden and Donald Trump was a disappointing setback after eight years of leadership by Barack Obama, a confident Black president popular among Democrats.

This year, the nation was back to literally the same old white man versus older white man matchup (Trump is 78; Biden, 81) with public appearances causing concerns about their mental and physical fitness for high office.

Then, in July, the race changed as Biden dropped out, eventually replaced by 59-year-old Harris.

Harris, who is Black and South Asian, is the first woman to hold the office of vice president, and the first woman of color to do so. If she wins the presidency she will set more firsts.

However, it many observers are skeptical that the country is ready to elect a female president — let alone one of a multiethnic background. In 2016, Hillary Clinton faced vitriolic attacks from the right and left with her gender as the criticism.

And, of course, she lost to Trump. But it wasn’t because people didn’t vote for her. He won the election because he got 304 Electoral College votes to her 224 — despite the fact that Clinton beat Trump in the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. In fact, she got over 65.8 million votes, which, according to CNN, was “more than any other losing presidential candidate in US history.”

Still, the doubts remained.

So it came as not that much of a surprise that Harris chose a 60- year-old white, male governor from the Midwest to be her running mate. The familiar face of an older white male politician may ease some of those doubts, especially for older voters.

But Walz has proven appealing to younger voters as well, and it’s not just because of his apparent “Midwestern Nice” personality.

Walz has shown a shift towards liberal policies during his career. The veteran and hunter who once held an “A” rating from the NRA, now proudly backs gun control after the wave of school shootings struck the nation in the 2010s. As a result, now the NRA has given him an “F.”

Walz also has a strong track record for supporting LGBTQ+ rights. During his time as a high school teacher in rural Minnesota in the ’90s, Walz helped launch the school’s first Gay Straight Alliance.

“I understood what it meant to be that older, straight, white guy who was coaching football,” Walz said as a keynote speaker for the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in September. “Allyship is a great thing… It’s easy to be an ally when it’s easy to be an ally. What really matters is knowing who’s going to be at your side and stand up when it’s hard.”

These moves — and his framing of Trump and his ilk as weird — have proved to be popular amongst the markedly progressive Gen Z crowd.

“[Walz] being such a pro-LGBTQ ally, especially as someone who was a football coach — so a very heteronormative kind of position there — but he still was a very verbal ally to gay people at his school, which is amazing,” said Matt Kinzel, 23. “He’s super pro-worker, pro-infrastructure, and just has good policy in Minnesota. And I think that’s why Minnesota has one of the best — you know, everyone’s just happy there.”

Walz boasts his modest, Midwest roots proudly. Before entering politics, Walz was once a public school educator, a football coach and a National Guardsman. He goes on an annual turkey-hunt trip with his family and has a rescue dog named Scout and rescue cat named Honey.

After Harris announced he would be her running mate, the Harris-Walz campaign launched a camouflage hat that went viral and sold millions of units. The trendy cap, a nod to outdoorsmen and Gen Z alike, embraces Walz’s Midwest roots while proving to be a hit with younger generations that are currently obsessed with work-wear brands like Carhartt, Dickies and Wrangler.

With Election Day soon approaching time will tell if Walz’s soft, Midwest charm will help Harris snag the win. Ultimately, the Harris-Walz ticket represents a pivotal moment in American politics, reflecting the country’s ongoing struggle between tradition and progress. For many younger voters, it signals a long-overdue shift toward greater inclusivity and representation in leadership. Yet, as Harris breaks barriers, Walz’s grounded, Midwestern appeal serves as a bridge to more moderate and older voters.