Alpha News visited Blue Earth County, Minnesota, the hometown of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, to ask residents what they thought of him.
Walz, a former football coach at Mankato West High School, has a past filled with over exaggerated claims and falsehoods.
First, several residents interviewed said they were voting for Donald Trump, which isn’t a good start for Walz.
“We’re both voting for Trump. It’s really the only option,” one couple told Alpha News reporter Liz Collin.
Another resident, who admitted he didn’t vote for Trump in the last election, declared he would cast his ballot for the former president this time around.
“We’ve had a lot of activity with Trump,” said Doug Hitzemann, the Blue Earth County Republicans’ treasurer. “It just drives people to come in to get signs, just to talk, communicate, and have a good time talking about it.”
Blue Earth County has typically leaned Democratic, with the last Republican gubernatorial win dating back to 2002.
However, in 2016, Trump flipped the country, and it seems the trend is sticking for 2024.
Hitzemann expressed doubts about Walz’s impact on the Democratic ticket, saying, “She’s not a strong candidate, and I didn’t even think he was a strong candidate,” adding, “I don’t think he helped her ticket.”
Hitzemann said Walz’s image in Mankato is much different to his public persona.
“He acts like a conservative while he’s campaigning here, and the minute he gets across the river, he switches to his true self,” Hitzemann said.
“There’s a whole lot of things that are coming out about him that we never knew,” he added.
“I don’t see any more interest in the Democratic ticket because of him. I don’t believe so.”
Hitzemann also recalled Walz’s recent appearance at a local football game
“I don’t think he’s as well-liked here as they like to portray him,” Hitzemann noted.
“My understanding is that there were quite a few boos in the stand.”
He also noted that some of the players wore Trump T-shirts, highlighting the lack of enthusiasm for Walz.
Meanwhile, other residents highlighted other issues, such as high taxes and rising costs of living, as reasons for not voting for Harris.
“This state is one of the most expensive states to live in tax-wise,” said Hitzemann.
“We’ve got people leaving the state. That’s not good in the long run.”
“Groceries are high. I mean, formula is high, milk is high… it’s a big crisis right now,” said a 29-year-old father.
Another worker voiced anger at government spending.
“I work hard, 60-hour weeks. I’m a roofer, 45% of my check goes to taxes,” he said. “I’m Hispanic, and they say, ‘Oh, we’re here to help the Hispanics,’ but they’re sending money to Ukraine, a war that doesn’t belong to us. I’m a Republican, and I believe that God is a Republican, too. Times have changed.”
Does Walz’s connection to Mankato hold any significance?
“Not even a little bit,” one voter bluntly replied.
