On Tuesday, Aug. 6, a coalition of leading Filipino American Democrats celebrated the likely Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s selection of Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

Filipino Americans for Harris-Walz (FAFHW)—which was established on July 29 and formerly known as Filipino Americans for Harris—shared their support for Walz and highlighted some of his political achievements in a press release.

“Governor Walz brings even more energy and excitement to the race for President. Vice President Kamala Harris made an excellent decision when she selected Governor Walz to be her vice presidential pick. He and Vice President Harris make an exceptional team for the race to the White House and we are looking forward to helping bring that victory in November!” FAFHW said.

Walz, 60, has served as the governor of Minnesota since 2019. Previously, he represented Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019.

As a Midwestern Democrat—which was a rarity in Congress at the time of his tenure—Walz supports LGBTQ rights, labor and workers rights, and increased gun control protocol (previously, he was a fervent gun rights advocate until the Parkland high school shooting in 2018).

As governor, he signed off on a number of police reform bills following the murder of George Floyd by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020. Walz is also a supporter of abortion and reproductive rights.

Prior to his political career, he taught social studies and coached football at the high school level. In 1989, he lived in China where he taught English for a year.

Walz also served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. As a congressman, he became a part of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs, where he advocated for more sophisticated mental health care and suicide prevention programs for veterans.

Since 1994, he has been married to his wife Gwen, with whom he has one son and one daughter. Walz was arrested in 1995 for driving under the influence of alcohol; he has since abstained from alcohol. He is also a practicing Lutheran.

Harris’s selection of Walz came to a surprise to many who believed she would select among a shortlist of likely contenders, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.

According to the Associated Press, Harris held in-person meetings with Shapiro, Kelly, Walz, and others over the weekend. But ultimately she was moved by Walz’s history as a congressman as well as his life before public office.

“He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big,” said Harris during a rally in Philadelphia where she introduced Walz as her running mate. “That’s the kind of vice president America deserves.”