Harris-Walz Campaign: A Vision for the Future

It is an exciting day for Minnesota as Vice President Kamala Harris just announced that my Governor, Tim Walz, will be her running mate!

The first picture, while not the clearest, (I had handed my pocket-sized Samsung camera to the Congressman’s aide) provides proof of heartfelt conversations.  That photo was snapped just before he departed a Rochester hotel banquet room as we walked-and-talked while I advocated for increased Federal support of libraries.  The second was a sun-filled, fun day in Winona when Walz was home during the summer congressional break.  He and his entourage joined young readers for a brown bag lunch provided by the Lunch Bus on the steps of the Winona Public Library.

I first met Tim Walz in 2006 at a candidates’ debate hosted by the Rochester Chamber of Commerce.  After just the first two questions, it was clear the incumbent, Republican Gil Gutknecht, had thought he could return to his hometown and coast by, after all, he was the one coming from the hallowed halls of government.  Instead, it was his challenger, Tim Walz, who responded competently to each question.  He shared details as if just briefed and with a clarity that demonstrated how he made high school geography interesting.  By the end of the debate, my luncheon tablemates were worried by their candidate’s mediocre performance and were busy conferring how best to get (then) Congressman Gutknecht the necessary coaching in hopes of a better showing in future debates around Minnesota’s 1^st district.  The November 2006 election proved the best man won.

A quick review of his Wikipedia page reminded me of just how hard this moderate has worked for the residents of Minnesota and our country:

"In his first week as a legislator, Walz cosponsored a bill to raise the minimum wage, voted for stem cell research, voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices, and voiced support for pay-as-you-go budget rules, requiring that new spending or tax changes not add to the federal deficit."

Even as Harris campaign signs are being swastika-ed in Rochester, I am supporting this exciting duo; my first campaign contribution already paid.  The Harris-Walz presidential ticket will rejuvenate this campaign, introduce civility and even some humor into the discussion of complicated issues and provide a talented team that will work with compassion as:

Today, we face a choice between two very different visions for our nation:  one focused on the future and the other focused on the past. And we are fighting for the future. —Kamala Harris (July 2024)