The son of a public school administrator and community activist, Congressman Tim Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska on April 6, 1964. Raised in a rural community, Walz spent his summers farming with his extended family. In 1982, Tim Walz graduated from Butte High School alongside his 24 classmates. In 1990, Walz began to serve full-time in the Army National Guard.

Subsequently, Tim Walz accepted a position teaching and coaching in Nebraska where he met his wife, Gwen Whipple. Married in 1994, Tim and Gwen Walz moved to Mankato, Minnesota two years later. The couple accepted positions teaching and coaching at Mankato West High School where Tim taught until his run for Congress in 2006.

Tim Walz’s inspiring approach to teaching has gained him recognition as the 2002 Minnesota Ethics in Education award winner, 2003 Mankato Teacher of the Year, and the 2003 Minnesota Teacher of Excellence. Walz completed his master’s degree in educational leadership in 2001 and is currently working on his doctorate at St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota.

After 24 years in the Army National Guard, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in the spring of 2005. Prior to retiring, Walz served overseas with his battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On November 7, 2006 Tim Walz won election to the United States House of Representatives. He defeated six-term incumbent Gil Gutknecht by a margin of 53% to 47%. On November 4, 2008 Walz was re-elected overwhelmingly in the traditional swing district held by Republicans most of its existence. Tim represents Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District which includes the communities of Worthington, Mankato, Albert Lea, Austin, Rochester and Winona. He is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the Veteran’s Affairs Committee and was recently named Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, of which Tim is also a member.