Kamala Harris’s vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz, has come out of the starting blocks with momentum, instantly earning the internet’s admiration with his small-town charm, pro-joy message and appeal as a typical Midwestern dad.
But the Minnesota governor has more than himself to thank for his calming public image, which has captivated Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans alike. Walz’s 23-year-old daughter Hope has helped catapult her father to Generation Z stardom – and even built her own fan base along the way.
“Hi Minnesota, this is Governor Walz,” he says in a hands-free driving video commercial filmed with Hope. “We want to remind you all that hands-free driving begins August 1st. We want to make sure our teen drivers aren’t texting…”
“No, no, no,” Hope interjects. “I think it’s mostly bald guys, actually,” she adds, poking fun at her “old” father throughout the clip.
In another video, shot at a county fair, Walz says he wants to eat corn dogs with his daughter, but Hope reminds him that she is a vegetarian and suggests turkey instead.
“Turkey,” Hope says tonelessly. “Not in Minnesota, turkey is special,” Walz jokes.
Whether unintentional or not, the viral father-daughter moments boosted Walz’s popularity and bolstered his public image as a counterpoint to the grim “weirdness” of the Trump-Vance team, which has been plagued by allegations of furniture harassment and openly sexist tirades.
Tim Walz “is the Midwestern dad we need as vice president,” said David Hogg, founder of March For Our Lives, in an X-post sharing the PSA video of Walz and Hope.
“If you haven’t fallen in love with Tim Walz yet, check him and his daughter Hope out at the Minnesota State Fair,” wrote one X-user. “It’s impossible not to love Tim Walz and his daughter Hope too,” said another.
Others are already hoping for the formation of a “vice daughters” alliance between Hope – a social worker and graduate of Montana State University – and Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, a New York-based artist and model.
“Really looking forward to Hope Walz and Ella Emhoff’s first photoshoot, ngl,” said one X user, while others asked the pair for everything from “a podcast” to “campaign content.”
Governor Walz also captivated voters with the story of Hope’s unlikely birth.
“It is no coincidence that we named our daughter Hope.”
“Gwen and I have two beautiful children thanks to IVF. This issue is deeply personal to our family and many others… Don’t let these people get away with telling you they support IVF when their hand-picked judges are against it,” the Minnesota governor said in an earlier Facebook post he wrote in response to the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision banning IVF.
The governor has spoken at length about his family’s personal difficulties with family planning, which the vice presidential candidate has often mentioned in his advocacy for reproductive rights.
“It is no coincidence that we named our daughter Hope,” he told the Star Tribune last year.
While Hope brings new Generation Z energy to the Harris-Walz candidate team, her father seems more than happy to share the spotlight – even if it means embarrassing her along the way.
“She’s a social worker, she works in a homeless shelter… and she’s a ski instructor!” Walz says in a recently surfaced video in which he appears to be bragging about his daughter to complete strangers.
Hope twiddles her thumbs, looks ashamed – and the crowd cheers.
