This election, already less than a week away, has a lot of big feelings attached to it — stress, fear, doubt, impatience — but there's an extra special reason Tim Walz has a huge feeling of pride as well.
Not only is he, of course, proud to be the Democratic Party's candidate for vice president and on the ballot, but this election season marks the very first time his son Gus, who just turned 18, is eligible to vote, and he is casting his first ever vote for his dad.
The current governor of Minnesota has been married to his wife and fellow former teacher Gwen Walz since 1994, and in addition to Gus, they are also proud parents to daughter Hope, who is 23 years old.
Last week, amid his ultra-busy campaigning schedule ahead of the ultra-tight raise against Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, Walz cast his vote for Vice President Kamala Harris alongside his wife and son in their home city of St. Paul.
Photos of the day see Walz sporting a jacket layered over a burgundy sweater and navy pants, and Gus a Bemidji State University sweatshirt, as they cast their ballot for Harris, standing at voting booths facing each other.
"We're excited about it," Walz told CBS News at the time, noting that his son was "looking for that 'I voted' sticker."
© GettyIn addition to voting for Harris, he shared that he voted for his good friend Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Betty McCollum as an "opportunity to turn the page on the chaos of Donald Trump."
Ever since his dad unexpectedly stepped into the spotlight when he was announced as Harris' VP pick with less than 100 days to go before Election Day on November 5, Gus has warmed hearts.
© GettyBack in August, shortly after the Democratic veepstakes came to an end, in a statement with People, Walz shared that the 18-year-old has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder, which they call his "secret power."
© Getty"When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates," the statement read, and noted: "Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself."
© InstagramSharing that they learned about Gus' diagnosis when he was a young teen, the statement added: "Like so many American families, it took us time to figure out how to make sure we did everything we could to make sure Gus would be set up for success as he was growing up."
It concluded: "It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus' condition is not a setback — it's his secret power."
