"Offer you his Timbits": What we know about Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, and his ties to Canada
US Vice-President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate earlier this week, and now some Canadians are trying to scour the internet to see if he has any connection to his neighbours up north.
It may seem that Walz’s most obvious tie to Canada is his proximity to his neighbours up north, as Minnesota shares a border with both Manitoba and Ontario.
It is the honor of a lifetime to join @kamalaharris in this campaign.
I’m all in.
Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school.
So, let’s get this done, folks! Join us. https://t.co/tqOVsw2OLM
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 6, 2024
Terry Duguid, MP for Winnipeg South, posted a photo with Walz on X from a recent meeting they had earlier this year.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Governor Walz earlier this year on a special trip as part of Team Canada where we discussed shared priorities and how our countries can best work together,” wrote Duguid.
Congratulations to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on being appointed Democratic nominee for Vice President!
I had the pleasure of meeting Governor Walz earlier this year on a special trip as part of Team Canada where we discussed shared priorities and how our countries can best… pic.twitter.com/DeRYghIhVC
— Terry Duguid (@TerryDuguid) August 6, 2024
MSNBC host Luke Russert posted about Walz being the kind of guy who “chats you up in line at a Tim Hortons” while offering you his Timbits.
He added that he has a “very glass half full” outlook and is an “effective communicator.”
I covered Tim Walz in the House for 7 years and he’s the type of guy that would chat you up in line at Tim Hortons and offer you his timbits. Very glass half full, effective communicator. https://t.co/bX1y0IFEiI
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) August 6, 2024
Charlie Feldman, president of the Canadian Study of Parliament Group, did a bit of a deep-dive “for those grasping at straws to find a niche Canada-Walz parliamentary angle.”
He highlighted that Walz “met with members of the Canadian Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and Forestry during their 2017 fact-finding trip to DC.”
For those grasping at straws to find a niche Canada – Walz parliamentary angle, he met with members of the Canadian Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and Forestry during their 2017 fact finding trip to DC.
This concludes this nerd alert :p pic.twitter.com/rAFtxpEJ6Q
— Charlie Feldman (@ParlCharlie) August 6, 2024
Gaphel Kongsta also pointed out that Walz led a business development mission to Canada, stopping in Toronto and Montreal.
For those wondering about what a VP Tim Walz might mean for Canada, Governor Walz recently led a business development mission to Canada and visited both Toronto and Montreal where he spoke at the US-Canada Summit and the Conference of Montreal. #cdnpoli https://t.co/VKBywFYY0i
— Gaphel Kongtsa (@GKongtsa) August 6, 2024
In a press release regarding that trip, Walz noted that Minnesota’s “relationship with Canada is based on more than just proximity. Our trade and investment ties are strong and expanding, and this trip will help both Minnesota and Canada drive economic growth and create jobs.”
Even with all that, Walz’s Canadian connection isn’t quite as strong as Harris’.
She lived in Montreal during the 1970s and 1980s while attending Westmount High School. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a teacher at McGill University at that time.
In 2021, she even chatted with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about her experience living in Canada.
“I spent many of my teenage years living in Montreal when my mother was teaching at McGill University… I have fond memories of my time in Montreal,” she told Trudeau at the time.
Harris spent five years in Montreal before returning to the US to attend Howard University in Washington, DC.
She secured the Democratic presidential nomination after President Joe Biden announced he would no longer be running in the 2024 presidential race.
With files from Ty Jadah