Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced a double defeat in the recent election, losing both the national race and his home county of Blue Earth to Donald Trump.
While Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz secured the overall statewide vote in Minnesota, President-elect Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, outperformed them in Blue Earth County, where Walz launched his political career and resided with his family for over two decades.
Walz represented Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Blue Earth County, from 2006 until he became governor in 2019, with his family based in Mankato, the county seat.
According to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State, Donald Trump captured 49.9% of the vote in Blue Earth County, with 18,002 votes, while Walz’s ticket partner, Kamala Harris received 48.18%, or 17,558 votes.
Statewide, Harris outpaced Trump, securing 50.88% to his 46.66%.
This outcome in Blue Earth County contrasts with the 2020 election, where Joe Biden led Trump by about 1,600 votes, capturing 51% compared to Trump’s 46.5%, as reported by CBS news.
Trump had previously won the county by around 1,200 votes in 2016.
Although Nebraska-born, Walz established his roots in Blue Earth County, serving as a social studies teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School.
His political career included winning the state’s 1st Congressional District for the Democrats in 2006, followed by 12 years of congressional service and a successful gubernatorial campaign in 2018.
Despite Minnesota’s 10 electoral votes going to Harris in the early hours of Wednesday, Trump secured the presidency upon reaching 270 electoral votes.
Although Minnesota nearly shifted towards the Republican side, the state has historically supported Democratic candidates, with its last Republican presidential choice being Richard Nixon in 1972.
Earlier, Walz’s first reaction to the dismal defeat in the US election was caught on camera as he broke down the moment Kamala Harris took his name in her concession speech yesterday. “Thank you Vice President
The governor of Minnesota came back to his state on Wednesday to resume his duties for the remainder of his second term. He released a statement expressing that he is “grateful to the millions of Americans who joined our campaign and stood up for our greatest ideals: decency, compassion, and love of our neighbor.”
The governor has not made any announcements regarding his intentions to run for a third term.
