Pick of Nebraska native as vice presidential candidate revs up interest in vote here

Nebraska isn't known as a battleground state when it comes to presidential elections. 

That tag usually goes to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, along with Georgia, Nevada and Arizona.

But the recent pick of Nebraska native and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the vice presidential running mate for Kamala Harris is revving up talk that the Cornhusker State – at least Omaha's congressional district – is in play and may help decide this fall's presidential election.

Walz, a 60-year-old former teacher and National Guard member, has some deep roots in Nebraska, especially its small towns.

He was born in West Point, grew up in Valentine and graduated from high school in Butte, a community just south of the South Dakota border. His mother still lives in Butte, population 270, where Walz' graduating class had 25 seniors.

Walz, who served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected governor in 2018, often cites his small-town background in explaining his approach to politics. 

Be a good neighbor, and mind your business "on a lot of things," he told the Nebraska Examiner 11 months ago.

"Go neighbor to neighbor, talk to them," he said. "(And) explain to them that why demonizing people who are choosing to marry a person that they love really doesn't impact you in any way."

Politicians, Walz added, "should stay focused on the things that improve people's lives."

Having a vice presidential candidate from a rural, agricultural state is sort of unusual in such campaigns, which usually find someone in a three-piece suit as a running mate, not someone who likes to wear Minnesota Viking sweatshirts.

If elected, he would be at least the third vice president with Nebraska connections to hold the office. The others were Gerald Ford, who was born in Omaha, Dick Cheney, who was born in Lincoln, and Charles Dawes, who served under President Calvin Coolidge. Dawes began his law career in Lincoln. 

(Dawes also owned the house that became Billy's Restaurant, the go-to hangout just a block from the Nebraska State Capitol where lobbyists and senators go to decompress. Dawes, is not the namesake of Dawes County, by the way. That distinction goes to James Dawes, who was governor of Nebraska when the county was formed in 1885.)

Walz was portrayed in an article in Politico as a "moderate-leaning Democrat with a good sense for tapping into local issues the district cared about." He also has gotten an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, which usually backs more conservative candidates.

Which brings us to the 2nd Congressional District in Omaha, which has been dubbed Nebraska's "Blue Dot" because it has backed a Democrat for president twice in the past four presidential elections (Barack Obama in 2008 and Biden in 2020). The state, along with Maine, has a unique system of awarding some of its electoral votes for president by congressional district.

Underscoring the importance the Blue Dot might play in 2024, former President Donald Trump recently opened a campaign office in Omaha. President Joe Biden already had an office in the district and its staff was quickly absorbed by the Harris-for-president team after Biden dropped out.

A lot of things would have to happen, but it's conceivable that the Omaha district and its single electoral vote could provide the margin for victory in what has been portrayed as a very tight race for the White House.

So rather than being a political "fly over" state, Nebraska, and particularly Omaha, might see some real campaign rallies this autumn.

And some will likely feature a popular Minnesota governor who has roots in this state. 

Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. He retired in April as senior contributor with the Nebraska Examiner. He was previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun.  A native of Ralston, he loves traveling and writing about the state.