Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a breakfast with the Minnesota delegation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Photo by Robin Washington

By Robin Washington August 22, 2024

CHICAGO — A Minnesota Delegation breakfast at the Democratic National Convention erupted into cheers Thursday morning with the surprise appearance of Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, just hours after accepting the party’s vice presidential nomination.

“Thank you for wrapping your arms around us and our family,” he said to the gathering of several dozen delegates, campaign advisers and elected officials. “Thank you for giving us the strength to do the job.”

Jewish members of the group said an appearance by their governor during one of the week’s morning briefings — which many in the room had hoped for, but viewed unlikely — suggests they will continue to have access to him should he win the vice presidency.

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“I suspect that Minnesotans will always have his ear and we will always have his,” said state Rep. Emma Greenman, who represents south Minneapolis in the Minnesota Legislature.

That applies to the Jewish community as well, she said.

“Absolutely. And what I know about Tim Walz is his ability to connect with folks. He’s not Jewish, but his ability to connect with Jewish folks, our Muslim brothers and sisters — in this moment, with the increase of antisemitism and the increase of Islamophobia,” she continued, “that’s something that Gov. Walz has been doing.”

Charlie Nauen, a lawyer for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party — the party’s official name in Minnesota — called Walz more than just a friend to Jews.

“He is considered a member of the Jewish community, the way he understands how we look at the world, the way he empathizes with it,” Nauen said, adding that Walz’s empathy extends beyond words, and that he expects the channels of communication would remain open with a Vice President Walz.

“I’m really interested in putting more Jewish judges on the bench,” he said. “We met with him a few months ago and he was completely understanding of that. Now we have a process at the Cardozo Society to vet and recommend Jewish lawyers to go on the bench. And it was encouraged by the governor’s office. So he’s going to be great on the issues that are important to all of us.”

Minnesota has a modern tradition of minting Democratic vice presidents, with the elections of Hubert H. Humphrey and Walter F. Mondale, both of whom later sought the presidency but were unsuccessful.

Although delegation members said they had hoped for their star native son to address the group, which earlier heard from party luminaries including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, chances appeared slim. One aide noted that Secret Service security concerns complicated the matter.

Details were kept to a limited few, with even high state officials out of the loop.

“I had no idea until I got here,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “It was really great of the governor to pay tribute to some of the folks in the room who helped get him where he is. It really lit up the room.”

“Politics aside and campaigns aside,” continued Simon, who is Jewish, “Tim Walz has been a real friend of the Jewish community in Minnesota. He’s been there for us during dark times. He’s been there with us to celebrate during good times, and he’s been a true and trusted ally.”

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