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By Jason Altmire
Former Congressman
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In the weeks immediately following the 2006 midterm elections, the newly minted freshmen members of Congress gathered for a series of orientation sessions and retreats designed to prepare them for what was to come. Those sessions also served as opportunities for the newly elected "Class of 2006" to size-up one another.
For me and many others in our class, this process included trying to identify the rising stars and those in the class who were most likely to succeed. It was a fun parlor game to guess who among the group would take the first step up the political ladder, maybe rising in the ranks of House leadership or winning election to higher office. In a class full of high achievers and political superstars, there were so many good choices.
One person few would have predicted would rise quickly was Tim Walz, the new Democratic congressman from Minnesota. This was not because of his pedigree, demeanor, or recent campaign, but because he was just so...normal. Unlike many in the class, he hadn't held prior political office and hadn't run one of the more high-profile campaigns. He didn't preen for the cameras or overtly promote himself. He was excited to be there and passionate about the issues of the day. He made friends easily and was one of the most likeable members of that historic '06 class, but few would have guessed that he might be one of the highest achievers of the group. And that is his superpower.
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Walz truly is the down-to-Earth everyman he appears to be. He came across in those early days as an affable Midwesterner, interested in policy but not partisanship. He was well liked by everyone, both Republicans and Democrats, but not considered someone who would achieve the highest levels of success in politics. So far, that Class of '06 has produced multiple governors and U.S. senators, two presidential candidates, an ambassador, an acting secretary of the Army, and a speaker of the House. It was a class filled with stars and savvy politicos, but in retrospect, Walz who may have been the best of the bunch.
Members of that class stayed close as time when by. Walz and I became friends, and our families socialized together. We had young daughters who became playmates when they were in Washington. Years later, when I lost a difficult primary election, Tim was there to support me as a friend and colleague. His wife, Gwen, was the first to reach out to my wife, writing a kind and heartfelt note such as one might expect from a close family member. Their daughter Hope offered similar sentiments to my daughter Grace when they saw one another later that summer. It was in those moments that I learned, as so many others have before and since, that Walz and his family are every bit as authentic as they appear to be. His rise in politics has been due to that authenticity, not in spite of it.
I have no doubt the American people will see that same genuine likeability as they get to know Walz over what promises to be a hard-fought campaign. He is the epitome of what voters are looking for when they ask if the candidate is someone with whom you would like to have a beer. My advice to Republicans is to not make the same mistake some of us in that congressional class of 2006 made. Underestimate Tim Walz at your peril.
Jason Altmire (D-PA) served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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