John Hinderaker writes for the Federalist about the Minnesota governor’s dubious record.
Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., was largely unknown to voters across the country when Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate, so his record is coming under national scrutiny for the first time. Unfortunately for Walz and the Democrats, his record as governor of Minnesota is every bit as bad as that of the Biden-Harris administration, if not worse.
When the George Floyd riots began in Minneapolis in May 2020, Walz dithered. For four days, while Minneapolis and other cities burned, Walz refused to call out the National Guard. By the time the riots were finally brought under control, the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct station had been stormed by rioters and burned, along with many other buildings.
The result is a crime wave that continues to the present. Throughout its history, Minnesota had always been a low-crime state. But as a result of Walz’s anti-law enforcement policies, the rate of serious crimes in Minnesota now exceeds the national average. For the first time, Minnesota is officially a high-crime state.
Walz’s tenure has been equally destructive of Minnesota’s economy. Historically, Minnesota has been a relatively high-income state. Its per capita gross domestic product has always been higher than the national average. But that, too, is no longer true. Walz’s anti-business and anti-growth policies have taken their toll, so that beginning in 2023, Minnesota’s per capita GDP is below the national average. Walz has performed the remarkable feat of making Minnesota an economically below-average state.
For many years, Minnesotans have believed that their public schools and students — like those of the fictional Lake Wobegon — are above average. That was true once, but not under Walz. The Walz administration has driven an explosion in spending on K-12 schools, but more spending has not meant better results. On the contrary, student performance has plummeted.
