About Tim Walz’s Son Gus Walz

Tim Walz is a proud father of two, including his son Gus.

In January 2001, the Minnesota governor and his wife, Gwen Walz, welcomed their eldest child, Hope. Got Gus.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris selected Tim as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, his family has been by his side, supporting him at rallies and events like the Democratic National Convention.

Gus could be seen in the stands cheering for his father when Tim spoke at the Democratic National Committee on August 21, and even got emotional as the governor accepted the vice presidential nomination.

“Hope, Gus and Gwen, you mean the world to me and I love you,” Tim said in his speech.

As a teenager, Gus was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and anxiety disorders — something Tim and Gwen described in an exclusive statement to People in August 2024 “Secret Power”.

“We love our Gus,” Tim and Gwen told People. “We are proud of the person he has grown into and we are excited to have him on this journey with us.”

From how he’s supported his father on his campaign journey so far to what Tim is most proud of about Gus, here’s everything you need to know about Tim Walz’s son Gus.

He was born in October 2006

Gwen and Tim welcomed Gus, their daughter Hope, on October 13, 2006, five years later. Throughout his political career, Tim has been open about his and Gwen’s struggles with infertility.

In a speech at the Democratic National Committee, Tim recalled the “absolute agony” he and Gwen endured for seven years of fertility treatments to conceive Hope.

“If you’ve never been through the hell of infertility, I can assure you that you know someone who has been,” Tim said.

Tim promises Gus a dog if he wins the 2018 gubernatorial election

Before Tim became the governor of Minnesota, he made an off-the-cuff promise to Gus that if he won a race, they could get a dog.

“I think it was March of ’17, and Gus said he always wanted a dog,” Tim told minnesota star tribune September 2019. “I said, ‘Well, Gus, if we win the gubernatorial race, we’re going to get a dog.'”

The next year, Tim does win the election – and Gus reminds his father of their agreement. Tim joked to the media that Gus never mentioned the dog again after their initial conversation, but it was the first thing he said after learning his father had won.

“They announced the game and Gus immediately screamed, ‘Oh, now I’m getting a puppy!'” Tim said.

In September 2019, the Waltz family adopted their Labrador mix, which Gus named Scout.

“Everyone is excited. Well, I shouldn’t say everyone,” the governor said. “Gus’ sister Hope said it took us two days to replace her – she went off to college and we replaced her with a puppy.”

Gus was diagnosed with a learning disability as a teenager

When Gus was a child, Tim and Gwen noticed his unique personality and how he differed from his peers.

“As our youngest Gus grew up, it became more and more obvious that he was different from his classmates,” the couple tells People. “Gus prefers video games and spending more time alone.”

When Gus was a teenager, he was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disorder, anxiety disorder, and ADHD. In this case, “non-verbal” is different from “not speaking.”

Tim and Gwen said it took the family some time to figure out the best way to help Gus and set him up for success, but they added that over time, they realized Gus’ diagnosis wasn’t going to be a obstacles to his growth.

“It took time, but it became immediately clear to us that Gus’ condition was not a setback—it was his secret power,” they said.

The couple noted that Gus was “extremely smart, sensitive to details that many of us overlook, and most importantly, he was a wonderful son and brother to his siblings.”

At the age of 17, he obtained his driver’s license

In October 2023, two weeks after Gus’ 17th birthday, he reached a milestone: He got his driver’s license. Tim commemorated the special moment on Instagram, along with a photo of him sitting in the passenger seat while Gus drove.

“My son Gus just passed his (what do you call it? driver’s license test?). A proud moment as a dad,” he wrote in the caption.

Gus is a high school student

Gus was only 12 when his father became governor, but now, at 17, Gus is in the same position his sister was in when his father ran for vice president: starting his senior year of high school.

Hope graduated from Mankato West High School (the town where the Walzes lived before Tim became governor), while Gus attended school in St. Paul.

He supported his father at the Democratic National Committee

On August 21, Tim took the podium at the Democratic National Committee to deliver a speech on his and Harris’ platform. In it, he talks about his family and his devotion to them.

When the camera pans to Gus in the crowd, he can be seen getting emotional, crying and yelling “That’s my dad!” as he stands up to applaud him.

Tim then beckoned his family to join him on stage, and Gus gave him a big hug and took a bow along with his sister and mother.