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Governor Tim Walz Returns to Duties Amid Thanksgiving Traditions
ST. PAUL, Minn. — In a festive ceremony on Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz accepted a turkey, marking a symbolic return to his role after the recent presidential election in which he and Vice President Kamala Harris were part of a unsuccessful ticket.
Unlike the turkeys that President Joe Biden pardoned just a day earlier, Walz humorously noted he did not pardon this turkey, stating, “In Minnesota, we know turkeys are delicious.”
The turkey, weighed in at 41.8 pounds and was named Tom, raised by Paisley VonBerge, a leader in the Future Farmers of America from Hutchinson. It is destined for her family’s Thanksgiving celebration. Despite its initial flurry of activity as it was lifted onto the table, the bird settled down quickly, seemingly unaware of its ultimate fate.
“After today, this bird will go back to my farm to be enjoyed the way that turkeys are intended,” Paisley commented.
Walz responded with laughter, saying, “That is very Minnesotan. We don’t hide the fact we love our turkeys.”
Minnesota is a leader in turkey production, raising more turkeys than any other state. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the state produced 38.5 million turkeys in 2023, surpassing North Carolina’s 29 million. Despite Minnesota’s higher number of birds, North Carolina yielded a slight edge in total weight, producing just over 1.07 billion pounds compared to Minnesota’s 1.05 billion pounds.
This turkey event marked Walz’s first interaction with the media at the Capitol since the prior summer, prior to his nomination as running mate.
While Walz has engaged in private meetings with staff and legislative leaders to discuss future appointments and issues, he is gradually stepping back into public engagements. He expressed no regrets about joining the presidential race, indicating pride in his and Harris’s campaign efforts.
The Walz-Harris campaign secured over 74 million votes, though it fell short against President-elect Donald Trump’s nearly 77 million. Walz reflected that this outcome signifies a level of support for their message, despite not achieving victory.
“I was just glad to be out there, and to be honest, glad to tell Minnesota’s story — that we get things done together and we’re pretty hopeful people,” he remarked.
Looking ahead, Walz is gearing up for the upcoming legislative session, where he and the Democratic majority will need to navigate power-sharing arrangements with Republicans. This contrasts sharply with the past two years when their party controlled both chambers of the Legislature.
The recent election results have left the Minnesota House tied at 67-67. House Republicans have signaled intent to contest a closely monitored race where incumbent Democrat Brad Tabke won by just 14 votes, complicating the situation further.
Should the tie stand, reaching agreements will be essential as lawmakers work towards a balanced budget by the session’s end in May. Walz acknowledged past instances of successful collaboration during divided governance, demonstrating that bipartisan initiatives can thrive.
“We’re going to have some opportunities to continue to move in the positive direction we’ve gone,” he concluded.
Source
abcnews.go.com