Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hit the spotlight this week. Vice President Kamala Harris picked him as her 2024 running mate. They will face former President Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Walz's past quickly drew attention. Fox News found a booking photo from a 1995 arrest. Troopers in Nebraska pulled him over for speeding and suspected drunken driving.
On Sept. 23, 1995, Walz was arrested. He was a high school teacher and football coach at the time. He was speeding over 80 mph and failed a breath test with a .128 blood-alcohol level.
He also failed a field sobriety test. His lawyer said it was due to his bad hearing. The trooper didn’t turn on the siren right away.
It was "a little bit bizarre," claimed his lawyer, Russell Harford. Walz thought "somebody was after him."
Walz was booked into county jail, then released on bond. He took a plea deal for reckless driving.
Now 60, Walz paid a $200 fine. He reportedly no longer drinks alcohol.
Harris named Walz her running mate on Tuesday. She became the presumptive Democratic nominee after Biden dropped out. His poor debate performance and low polls led to his withdrawal.
Walz, a National Guardsman and Nebraska native, was elected to the House of Representatives after his education career. He became Minnesota's governor in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022.
Interestingly, both Walz and Vance enjoy Diet Mountain Dew. Walz even tweeted, "Make it a Diet Mountain Dew and I’m sold," in response to a KwikTrip post about morning drinks.