MANKATO, Minn. – Former Vice President Walter Mondale endorsed U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in his run for governor of Minnesota on Thursday.
“Honored to have the support of VP Walter Mondale,” Walz wrote on Twitter. “The campaign keeps building.”
Along with that statement, Walz tweeted out a picture of Mondale along with a text of Mondale’s endorsement.
“Tim has served our state as a Command Sergeant Major in the National Guard, as a teacher, and as a leader in Congress,” Mondale wrote. “I look forward to Tim continuing his leadership as our governor.”
Honored to have the support of VP Walter Mondale.
This campaign keeps building!
Join us: https://t.co/Eeidma0rzO #mngov #mnleg #mn2018 pic.twitter.com/U2Z0iXcNPH
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) September 21, 2017
Mondale served two terms as a U.S. senator for Minnesota from 1964-76. He was then vice president under President Jimmy Carter from 1980 until 1985 when President Ronald Reagan took office. Mondale challenged Reagan in 1988, losing every state but Minnesota. He would also go on to lose Minnesota in 2002 when he ran as the DFL’s emergency candidate for senate following Sen. Paul Wellstone’s death in a plane crash just 11 days before the general election.
Mondale’s endorsement is the latest and largest of a number of high profile endorsements Walz’s gubernatorial bid has received. Also among Walz’s backers are incumbent Congressman Collin Peterson (MN-5) and former mayor of Minneapolis R.T. Rybak.
Walz’ DFL primary opponent State Rep. Erin Murphy (D-St. Paul) has garnered a number of endorsement from more local levels of government, including school board officials, city council members, and county commissioners. Her highest profile endorsements include State Rep. Mike Freiberg (D-Golden Valley) and State Sen. Melisa Franzen (D-Edina.)