By Ted Johnson, Dominic Patten

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president by sharing his deeply personal story about his journey in politics. The speech was filled with references to football and his Midwestern roots.

“I was a 40-something high school senior with little kids, zero political experience, no money, working in a deep-red district. But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher,” he said.

Walz was largely unknown on the national stage until Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate earlier this month, highlighting his former career as a high school teacher and coach of the state championship-winning team.