Tim Walz Grew Up in Rural Nebraska — Who Are His Parents?
Tim Walz followed in his dad's footsteps in more ways than one.
Published Aug. 6 2024, 6:29 p.m. ET
After it was announced that Kamala Harris had selected Tim Walz as her VP running mate for the 2024 presidential election, folks have been trying to learn everything they can about the Minnesota governor — from his wife, to his kids, to his military record and his faith ... and even his pets.
Walz, who has been touted for his progressive policies while also potentially attracting centrist voters thanks to his Midwestern roots, grew up in rural Nebraska.
Below, we take a look at what is know about Walz's parents, as well as his background.
Tim Walz as a teen in 1981, in basic training in the U.S. Army
Tim Walz's parents: Here's what we know about his mother and father.
Tim Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, on April 6, 1964, to mom Darlene Rose Reiman and dad James F. Walz. While he was growing up, Walz, who is one of three siblings, lived with his family in a few different small towns in Nebraska, and spent his summers working on his family farm in Butte.
Walz followed in his dad's footsteps in more ways than one. For one thing, Walz's dad was a veteran. His dad also pursued a career in education, becoming a public school administrator.
Walz, similarly, is a veteran as well, having served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. Walz also worked in education like his dad, becoming a social studies teacher.
"I’ll always look up to my dad. He served during the Korean War and grew up working in my grandparents’ butcher shop," Walz tweeted in 2020. "He worked as hard as anyone I’ve ever known."
As for Walz's mother, she was a community activist, but Walz said that after his father passed away from lung cancer when Walz was a teen, his mother's job at a nursing home is what helped them pay for the outstanding medical bills, along with social security survivor benefits.
"That experience led me to choose a career in public service, like my father," Walz wrote in a piece for the Star Tribune in 2022. "I taught high school social studies, coached football and served 24 years in the National Guard. I didn't plan my life to become governor, but I believe my life experiences prepared me."
What is Tim Walz's ethnicity?
The main thing we know about Walz's background, aside from the fact that he is a white American, is that his paternal grandfather, John Friederich Walz, was the son of a German immigrant named Sebastian Walz.
Aside from his German heritage, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot that is known about any other potential parts of Walz's heritage right now, but maybe we'll learn more about his background over time.
