Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, have two children together.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, have two children together. Walz often speaks about being a father.
Tim Walz, recently chosen as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential candidate, is married to Gwen Walz. They share a daughter, Hope, and a son, Gus. The couple first met while teaching in western Nebraska near Walz’s hometown. Soon after meeting, they began taking their students on summer trips to China, continuing this tradition nearly every summer until 2003. They married in 1994 and welcomed their children in 2001 and 2006. Walz frequently shares photos and tributes to his kids on social media, and has appeared in viral videos with Hope.
Walz often discusses his family in interviews, particularly the seven-year IVF journey he and Gwen underwent to have children. This experience has significantly influenced his policies as governor.
After marrying in 1994, the couple moved to Mankato, Minnesota, in 1996, where they worked at Mankato West High School. They raised their family there. Reflecting on the major flooding in Minnesota in June, Walz wrote on Instagram about his roots in the area, expressing sympathy for those affected.
Walz has spoken about the challenges he and Gwen faced in becoming parents, including the fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, that Gwen underwent for seven years. They became parents in January 2001 with the birth of their daughter, Hope, and welcomed their son, Gus, in October 2006.
The name Hope has special significance for the couple, symbolizing their IVF journey. Walz recounted the joyous moment when Gwen revealed her pregnancy, saying, “It’s not by chance that we named our daughter Hope.”
He has emphasized the importance of reproductive health care like IVF, which enabled him and Gwen to have their children. In February, he reacted to an Alabama ruling declaring frozen embryos as children, which threatened the future of IVF in the state. On World IVF Day in June 2024, Walz responded to J.D. Vance’s vote against the Right to IVF Act with a passionate defense of IVF, highlighting its significance for his family and many others.