Walz tries to burnish his everyman image with trip home to Minnesota
As a high school marching band played a rendition of “Sweet Caroline,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walked down the 50-yard line at Friday’s crosstown rivalry football game between Mankato East High School and Mankato West High School. Walz, accompanying the latter team’s captains, received an introduction that would work equally well at a campaign rally.
“Joining them for the coin toss,” said the announcer, “former Mankato West defensive coordinator, decadelong geography teacher, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.”
Walz’s visit to the football game, and his stop earlier in the day at the school where he once taught and coached, marked his first return to the town he called home for 10 years since joining the Democratic presidential ticket in August.
Since Walz was named the Democratic vice presidential nominee, the Harris campaign has sought to highlight his tenure at Mankato West as the defining aspect of his background, more so even than his over 20 years in the National Guard or his six terms in Congress. Vice President Kamala Harris often refers to Walz as “Coach Walz,” a moniker now seen on campaign signs at Walz’s rallies.
Walz’s return to Minnesota is part of the campaign’s bid to win over male voters in Midwestern battleground states. A campaign official told CNN that Walz’s recent interviews with local outlets in Midwestern battleground states and a sit-down with former NFL star Michael Strahan on ABC’s “Good Morning America” were also part of the push to engage persuadable male voters. A Pew Research Center national survey released Thursday found 51% of registered male voters support former President Donald Trump, while 43% support Harris.
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