This week, the newly minted Democratic Nominee for President, Kamala Harris, announced her pick for Vice Presidential running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Walz will be going up against JD Vance, the Republican nominee for Vice President; whose health care record we covered in our last edition. Walz has served as Minnesota’s Governor since 2018 and, prior to that, for 12 years as a Congressman for the state’s conservative-leaning First Congressional District. Prior to politics, Walz was a schoolteacher and football coach, and served 24 years in the U.S. Army National Guard. Walz is the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress. During his tenure, he served as the Ranking Member of the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee, the Armed Services Committee, the Agriculture Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. While in Congress and as Governor, Walz has taken action on several health care issues.

Minnesota’s Health Care System

In a study published last month, Minnesota’s health care system was ranked the top in the nation. According to the study, Minnesota has the highest number of convenient health clinics per capita; the state has the fourth-lowest average out-of-pocket medical spending, sixth-lowest average monthly insurance premiums, sixth-best public hospital system, and fifth-highest life expectancy.

Maternal/Reproductive Health Care Access

In his debut speech as Harris’ running mate at a rally in Philadelphia this week, Walz reaffirmed his commitment to protecting access to Invitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments, a personal issue for him as his two children were both conceived through IVF. Even though access to abortion was already protected by a ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court, Walz signed a bill into law codifying the right to an abortion last year. His Administration also enacted protections for patients travelling to Minnesota for abortion care from states with access bans; the protections also extend to the providers who perform the procedures.

Mental Health

During his congressional tenure, Walz made veterans’ mental health a top priority. Working closely with the Obama Administration, Walz was a top advocate for the passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. As governor, Walz worked with the legislature to pass a bipartisan mental health law that invested $90 million in the state’s mental health care system. The investments from the bill went to increasing hospital bed capacity, provider recruitment, increasing access to mental health services for youth and children, expanding the use of mobile crisis units, and better equipping the criminal justice system.

Health Care Equity and Public Health

Walz worked with the state legislature to protect health care access for LGBTQ+ Minnesotans by banning the practice of harmful conversion therapies and protecting access to gender-affirming care. On the public health front, Walz advocated and signed bills banning the use of cell phones while driving and raising the age limit on tobacco purchases to 21 years of age.