In an embarrassing setback, United States Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ended up losing even his home county to Republican candidate Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential elections.
Trump secured 49.6 per cent of the vote in Minnesota’s Blue Earth County, against Walz’s 48.3 per cent.
Ironically, Walz was defeated by Trump in a territory that he and his family had been calling home for the last 20 years before he became governor.
This was a major upset when compared to the election results in 2020. Incumbent US President Joe Biden won from the county with an impressive 51 per cent of the vote while Trump languished at just above 46 per cent.
According to US media, Walz moved to Blue Earth County as an adult and spent his time there teaching social studies and coaching football.
His stint in the Congress has been impressive, winning the state’s 1st Congressional District for the Democrats in 2006, and then representing it for 12 years.
Walz took on the role of Minnesota governor in 2018, after defeating his Republican opponent by double digits. It was because of this impressive report card and track record that he was selected as Kamala Harris’s running mate by Democratic elites. However, the voters of his county rejected him.
It must be noted that Trump failed to win the Minnesota state overall, with the state’s 10 electoral votes ultimately going to Harris on Wednesday (Nov 6). The blue state last voted for a Republican candidate in 1972 when Richard Nixon was the GOP nominee.
(With inputs from agencies)
