Kamala Harris picked Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her Vice Presidential running mate today, the latest move in the tumultuous month-plus of political chaos we've had since the Biden/Trump debate in June. People have seen the Walz pick as positive news; we know he's good about things like free school lunch, unions, and queer rights. And, unlike VP opponent J.D. Vance, he's not a weirdo about games.
As pointed out by Twitter user JakeTheDad, in 2022 Walz wrote a congratulatory letter to the Apple Valley High School esports team, praising them on "an undefeated season and winning the Minnesota Varsity League State Championship in Valorant." The team itself shouted out the mention today, tweeting, "Feels a bit different now knowing we are the first and only esports team endorsed by the new VP candidate."
Feels a bit different now knowing we are the first and only esports team endorsed by the new VP candidate @GovTimWalz - we are still working on growing esports in our state and nation! https://t.co/ANbVcl81gb
— Apple Valley High School Esports (MN) (@AVHSEsports) August 6, 2024
Vance is also in the news for games: in an interview with Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt, Vance's wife Usha apparently hesitated before confessing that what Earhardt called Vance's "dorky interest" is Magic: The Gathering. According to Earhardt, Usha Vance said J.D. is "going to kill me for saying this."
JD Vance being into magic the gathering just set us back a decade+ in public perception pic.twitter.com/ogOibRjsUG
— Scott McNamara (@OafMcNamara) August 5, 2024
The Apple Valley High team has won four consecutive Valorant championships, recieving a shoutout from Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar too. Walz wrote to the Apple Valley High team in 2022 that "With esports on the rise, I am extremely proud of you and the role you have taken on to grow esports participation at Apple Valley High School and in Minnesota. You are at the helm of transforming a hobby into a potentially life-changing career in a new and innovative realm of sports."
Meanwhile, when Trump called Vance to offer him the VP slot, Vance apparently told his seven-year-old son to "shut the hell up for 30 seconds about Pikachu."
Update, 8/9/24: According to The New York Times, Walz has also played games, with players he coached in football recalling a story about "the time his wife had seized his Dreamcast, the Sega video game console, because he had been playing to excess."
