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Friends,
The last sitting President to visit my hometown of Mankato, Minnesota was George W. Bush in 2004.
As a high school teacher and football coach at the time, I brought two fellow teachers’ children to the speech as an educational experience. We were denied entry because the students had previously volunteered for the Democratic Party.
Having just returned from military duty in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, I wished to hear directly from the President and my students, regardless of political party, deserved to witness the historical moment of a sitting president coming to our city.
Above all, I was struck by how deeply divided our country was becoming that a veteran and a group of high schoolers would be turned away at the door.
It was at this moment that I decided to run for office. While I had a passion for politics, I had never been overly involved in political campaigns, and many people thought that a high school teacher and football coach didn’t stand a chance. Two years after President Bush's visit, I was elected to represent Southern Minnesota in Congress. Fourteen years later, I was elected as the Governor of the Great State of Minnesota.
Ahead of President Trump's visit to my hometown today, I think about the next generation of leaders who are stepping up to meet this moment and running to serve their communities and our state.
Over the next 78 days, I will continue to work with my campaign to support them however I can, so we can all fight together for a future where no one is turned away at the door.
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I’m grateful,
Tim Walz
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