Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on the 2024 Democratic ticket. The Internet was quick to read up on facts about the former high school teacher and decorated veteran — and was just as quick to dig into his social media history to trace his musical taste.
Among the many things that a social media deep dive reveals, Walz’s musical horizons span far and across decades. He’s not just a Swiftie, but a member of the Beyhive, too. He loves classic rock — don’t get him started on Warren Zevon — and is a connoisseur of the vinyl format. Oh, and he may not be from New Jersey, but he loves Bruce Springsteen. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t rep for Minnesota, though: He’s a Prince fan, and name-checked the Replacements and Lizzo in one proclamation.
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The 60-year-old, who became Governor of Minnesota in 2019, has a long history to sort through. Here’s what you need to know about where he stands on some of the most important issues: who he has in his vinyl collection, which musicians he loves, and why Warren Zevon is, frankly, overlooked.
Walz is a full-blooded Swiftie
Of course, Swifties, no strangers to tracking down any bits of info online, were quick to dig up his tweets regarding the pop star. As a fan, Walz tweeted back in 2022 that his cat, Afton, was unhappy about missing the opportunity to get secure access to her show. “Afton after being online all day and not getting Taylor Swift tickets,” he wrote, posting a photo of one unhappy-looking cat.
But the hurt feelings were short-lived. “After a little bit of convincing, Afton’s come around and is proud to celebrate Taylor Swift Day in Minnesota,” he wrote on June 23, 2023, when he proclaimed that day and the next Taylor Swift Days in Minnesota to coincide with her shows at U.S. Bank Stadium. “Long story short,” read the proclamation, “Taylor Swift has enchanted and inspired Minnesotans and people all over the world. Taylor Swift will forever and always be a positive influence, setting an example with her truthfulness, grace, creativity, and strength of character.”
Beyond vanity days, though, Walz put his fandom into legislative action by signing a “Taylor Swift bill” in law earlier this May, requiring increased transparency while purchasing tickets to live events. Rep. Kelly Moller authored the bill — of course, titled HF1989 — after being unable to buy tickets to the Eras Tour last summer.
“This is about fairness in how we go about ticketing,” said Walz at the signing event. “It’s protection, so you don’t get a fraudulent ticket. The resellers can’t snatch them all up before you get an opportunity to do it.”
Why not both? He’s also a member of the Beyhive
On July 20, 2023, Walz declared it Beyoncé Day in Minnesota as she stopped by the state to perform at Huntington Bank Stadium. “I might be Governor of Minnesota, but we all know who runs the world,” he tweeted at the time. “Welcome to Minnesota, Beyoncé!” The proclamation praised the singer’s “exceptional artistry, empowering messages and captivating performances [that] have inspired millions.”
Walz also loves the oldies, especially on vinyl
Just take one look at the vinyl haul he posted in 2023: the man loves his classic rock. He posted a photo of four records he got at Minneapolis’ Electric Fetus, including the Moody Blues’ “Long Distance Voyager,” Steve Winwood’s “Arc of a Diver,” Genesis’ “Duke” and Warren Zevon’s “Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School.” And a few years prior, he posted that he was teaching his daughter Hope about “old school stereo setups.” “We’re sharing the joy of classic vinyl and Bob Seger. Quality speaker wire matters people!!!”
And, he’s quick to defend the classic artists he loves. Last year, he expressed disdain for Zevon’s exclusion from the inductees for the Hall of Fame. “As Governor of Minnesota I cannot believe Warren Zevon was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he wrote.
While he clearly has hometown pride, he’s also decidedly a huge fan of the Boss. He declared it Bruce Springsteen Day on March 5, 2023, and this past July appeared at a state fair with his daughter wearing a Springsteen tee.
Make no mistake: Walz has love for Minnesota’s finest
What would being the Governor of Minnesota really mean if he didn’t love the musicians it produced? As one of his earliest acts of governance, he proclaimed April 2019 as Minnesota Music Month, shouting out some of its notable acts. “Having produced artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Prince, the Replacements, Dessa, Atmosphere and Lizzo, the Minnesota music scene is a vibrant part of our cultural landscape,” reads the proclamation. “It is important to recognize the impact of Minnesota artists on our entire state and we are grateful for their contributions that have advanced our understanding of one another.”
In May 2023, he renamed a highway to honor the legacy of Prince. “Today, I signed a bill renaming a state highway in honor of Prince – an artist who transformed the music scene in Minnesota and across the world,” he wrote. “Prince was a proud Minnesotan through and through, and it’s only fitting that we honor this icon in the community he called home.”
Today, I signed a bill renaming a state highway in honor of Prince – an artist who transformed the music scene in Minnesota and across the world.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) May 9, 2023
Prince was a proud Minnesotan through and through, and it's only fitting that we honor this icon in the community he called home. pic.twitter/bWYb6bHpif
All this, plus he was on hand last October to help open Conor McPherson’s musical “Girl From the North Country,” which reimagines 20 Dylan songs including “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower.” “Minnesota’s arts community has produced some of the greats, including Bob Dylan,” he tweeted. “There’s no better place to open the ‘Girl From The North Country’ – a story that’s set in Duluth to the music of Bob Dylan – than right here in Minnesota at the Orpheum.”
