What Gov. Tim Walz’s past debates tell us about how he could come in VP faceoff

Gov. Tim Walz gazed into the television camera and sped through a seemingly rehearsed set of points he was hoping to drive home in one of his first political debates, just days before the 2006 election that would catapult him from the classroom to Congress.

“We have an opportunity here to exercise that greatest of American gifts: The ability to vote and to vote for a representative who will take this country in the direction you feel is best,” Walz said as he closed out the hourlong debate from an Austin, Minn., TV studio, adding, “My optimism in this country is so great.”

That moment, as important as it was for him at the time, pales in comparison to what awaits Walz on Tuesday as the two-term governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee steps on a debate stage with JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president. 

While Walz is still projecting himself as a candidate of positivity, the hits will come hard and he won’t have the out of being a newcomer. And the audience of many millions will be watching for any slip-ups.

Vance, an Ohio senator, is only a couple of years onto the political scene. Walz has a nearly two-decade run in politics. But neither has been exposed to the pressure of a situation at this level.

Walz’s track record suggests he will focus on his past life experience as a teacher, assistant football coach and Army National Guard member. Those who’ve debated him before say Walz has a down-to-earth style that is relatable — but that freewheeling style can also cause problems for him. 

Ahead of the first — and likely only — vice presidential debate, here is more on Walz’s debate track record.

From teacher to political incumbent

In one of his first political debates, Walz juxtaposed himself against his Republican opponent, then-Congressman Gil Gutknecht in 2006, noting that he brought more experience outside of elected office.

“The thing I think my opponent fails to realize. He speaks of the arena as the bubble inside the beltway in Washington, DC, I’ve been in the arena of public life,” Walz said during the KMSQ debate. “What I think I bring is a real life experience that knows I don’t have the luxury of being partisan. I don’t have the luxury of being rigid.” 

Fast-forward to 2024, Walz is again expected to lean on his pre-politics background to distinguish himself from Vance.

Walz has acknowledged that debates aren’t his strong suit. He told MSNBC earlier this month that the match up will offer voters a look at the differences between the candidates — both in terms of style and policy views.

“He’s a Yale Law guy. I’m a public school teacher, so we know where he’s at on that. Sure, I think it’s a good opportunity to contrast where we’re at,” Walz said following the ABC debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“You’ll hear me talk like I have about things that impact Americans, making sure they have the opportunity to thrive, making sure that we’re being factual and how we talk about that,” he continued.

In addition to framing Harris’ vision for the country, Walz will also have to answer for nearly two decades of votes and actions he’s taken while in office. That spans responding to the riots in Minneapolis following George Floyd’s murder, presiding over the state during the pandemic and ushering in a broad swath of policy decisions in St. Paul.

Walz was pressed on his response to crises during a 2022 gubernatorial debate at Farmfest. Republican Scott Jensen told an audience at the Redwood Falls farm trade show that Walz used too heavy a hand in office.

“Let farmers farm. Let miners mine. Let teachers teach. And let government get the hell out of the way,” Jensen said to applause from supporters there.

Visibly irked by the comments, Walz stood from the seat behind the candidates’ table to push back on the critiques.

“This job entails more than admiring a problem, second guessing,” he said.

Jensen said Vance could deploy a similar approach — drilling down on two or three points from the governor’s time in office to put Walz on his heels.

“You’re far better off — rather than, you know, inflicting 10 superficial wounds,” Jensen said. “Try to get a deep cut.“

He added, “Get your opponent to lose his cool or inadvertently acknowledge that they had failed at such and such.”

Jensen and others who have debated Walz note that the governor is affable and folksy. And they say his move to downplay expectations — a classic pre-debate tactic — could help him set up a more successful outcome.

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy knows from experience. She debated Walz when the two ran for the 2018 Democratic nomination for governor, which he won after a hard race.

“He is a plainspoken person. He doesn’t put on airs, and he’s going to be direct with the people about what he believes we need to do,” the St. Paul Democrat said.

Paul Gazelka, a former Republican Senate majority leader, said the casual speaking patterns can cause problems for Walz. He pointed to a comment the governor made about Minnesota National Guard members being “19-year-old line cooks” as he defended his response to the 2020 Minneapolis riots.

“Sometimes he speaks off the top of his mind, which maybe didn’t get him in trouble as much in Minnesota, but if that’s the case now, it will get him into trouble,” Gazelka said. “It’s those kinds of things that I think may be difficult for him to rein in.”

Gazelka wanted to challenge Walz in his 2022 reelection bid but he didn’t receive the Republican Party’s endorsement that year. 

Vance has shorter record

Vance has the benefit of having a shorter political track record to retread. His 2022 Senate run was his first bid for elective office, requiring him to navigate a tense primary and then take on a well-known congressman. 

The debates included discussions of Vance’s prior criticism of Trump and his about-face on his current running mate. 

He was also asked about his position on abortion, something likely to be revisited in Tuesday’s debate. In one of the 2022 Senate debates against Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, Vance said he would support a national policy banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy with some exceptions for rape or incest.

“If you can’t support legislation like that, you are making the United States the most barbaric pro-abortion regime anywhere in the entire world,” Vance said. “You can have some minimum national standards, which is my view, while also allowing the states to make up their minds.”

Vance has since walked back his support for the proposal and waffled on whether former President Donald Trump would veto such legislation, if elected.

Both campaigns have cast big names to play their opponent. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was tapped to play Ohio Sen. JD Vance in rehearsals with Walz. Meanwhile, Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer is portraying Walz in rehearsals with Vance.

The debate hosted and moderated by CBS airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. Central Time. It will be simulcast live on MPR News.

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