Minnesota Governor Tim Walz launched his TikTok account (@timwalz) as part of the Harris campaign’s expanded efforts to reach younger voters. 

The governor’s debut on the platform follows Vice President Kamala Harris’s TikTok account launch on July 25, which has since garnered approximately 4.5 million followers.

Walz introduces himself on TikTok with a 10-second video filmed on the banks of the Mississippi River. 

The campaign plans to leverage Walz’s persona as a Midwestern dad, teacher, coach, and veteran to connect with voters on the platform.

“Getting the Governor up on TikTok ensures that the incredible number of voters on the platform get to see exactly who he is – a teacher, a coach, a veteran, a father, and a leader who is, along with VP Harris, doing the hard work to make Americans’ lives better,” Hannah Flom, Walz’s Digital Director, said in a statement. 

The Harris campaign recently released a video featuring Walz and Harris discussing topics such as music and cooking. 

In the video, Walz humorously describes his “white guy tacos” as “pretty much ground beef and cheese. Black pepper is the top of the spice level in Minnesota.”

This TikTok strategy aligns with Walz’s existing social media presence on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, where he has cultivated a self-deprecating persona. 

A previous video from September 2023 showcased Walz and his daughter riding the Slingshot at the Minnesota State Fair.

Relying on TikTok Despite Potential Ban? 

The campaign’s use of TikTok comes despite recent legislation signed by President Biden in April, which aims to compel ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, to sell the platform. 

However, in a March interview with ABC News, Harris stated, “We do not intend to ban TikTok,” acknowledging the platform’s benefits in allowing people to share information freely while addressing national security concerns regarding its ownership.

Moreover, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has granted media credentials to 200 social media influencers for the Chicago convention (Aug. 19-22). 

This marks the first time a major U.S. political party has officially included content creators in their convention press corps.