Walz emerges as Democratic Party’s care economy advocate

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz presents his progressive policies as family-oriented pragmatism, betting that everyday household concerns matter more to voters than conservative culture wars.

The Democratic vice presidential nominee intends to sell a message of liberal care economics – free school meals, increased education funding, paid family leave and affordable child care – as an antidote to the negative politics of gender identity and race.

The campaign is building on that message as Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz unveil their governing priorities ahead of the Democratic National Convention, touting the former teacher’s record as an example of practical solutions to a fractured country. Their efforts aim to rebrand progressive policies as acceptable options for families.

“If Governor Walz talks about social issues like education, Republicans will have a hard time responding,” said Paul Bentz, an Arizona-based Republican pollster who has worked on federal and state campaigns. “Walz has an opportunity to explain why you should vote for him over Trump. That’s an attractive factor for swing voters.”

Last year, Walz successfully convinced the Democratic-controlled Minnesota legislature to approve free school lunches for all students, regardless of income. Lawmakers also approved free college tuition for households earning less than $80,000 a year. They also passed a $2.2 billion increase in K-12 spending and a paid family and medical leave program that will begin in 2026.

“He can talk about education in a way that other people can’t because he’s a teacher,” said Ken Martin, chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a member of the Democratic National Committee. “He can also talk about putting together an economic agenda that can actually help people get ahead. That’s really where I think he’s going to shine the most.”

The school lunch program has proven much more expensive than anticipated, and Walz had the luxury of pushing the measures through a like-minded Democratic legislature. But supporters of the initiative argue that an optimistic, family-first approach offers an alternative to the country’s future that voters so desperately want.

“Politics has become so negative that it’s very effective to explain yourself in a positive, smiling way,” said Amy Koch, a Minnesota political strategist and former Republican majority leader in the state Senate. “People are tired of being angry all the time.”

Koch believes Republicans have missed the opportunity to take a more optimistic approach, particularly with the emergence of J.D. Vance as the Republican vice presidential nominee.

“He comes from humble roots. He’s successful,” she said of the Ohio senator. “He’s a young man who seems to have an interesting background and a lovely family. He should be able to capture that, too, but is he allowed to be himself or is he kind of forced to stick to a script that doesn’t really fit him?”

Democrats have used polling, voter research, and the results of post-pandemic school board and local elections to underscore their argument that conservative attacks on history classes and library books are failing to resonate with a majority of general election voters — and may even alienate moderates and persuasive independents. That includes suburban mothers in swing counties and districts who might see education and child care as a motivator for their vote.

“We’ve done things to improve people’s lives in real, fundamental ways,” Walz said Tuesday during a speech to members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. “We’ve guaranteed free breakfast and lunch for every child in Minnesota. That’s helped many school employees, AFSCME members, keep their students engaged and in the classroom learning.”

The Harris-Walz campaign, when asked about her care economy agenda, highlighted Harris’ past commitments to supporting the middle class, increasing access to affordable child care and reducing child poverty.

The family-focused message also aims to undermine Republican efforts to portray the duo as radical leftists who care little about the needs of the middle class. Conservatives have argued that their opponents are ignoring parents concerned about failing schools or inadequate curricula.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently decried a Minnesota law that provides free menstrual products to students at school. Some Republicans, who have taken to calling Walz “Tampon Tim,” say the law requires the products to be placed in boys’ restrooms. The law does not mandate that.

The Trump-Vance campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Teachers unions, particularly excited about the prospect of an educational message on the Democratic ticket, say it will be well received in key states.

“They don’t support banning books. They don’t support censoring teachers who teach history honestly. They want people to have the freedom to present the facts as they are,” said Arthur Steinberg, the newly elected president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. “This is clearly a public issue, not just our members.”