(NewsNation) — Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz accepted an invitation from CBS News to debate his Republican rival, JD Vance, on Oct. 1.
“See you on October 1, JD,” Walz posted on “X.” CBS proposed four dates for a vice presidential debate, and Vance has yet to accept an offer.
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Who is Tim Walz?
Walz’s liberal policy record and decorated background as a congressman and soldier made him stand out as a vice presidential contender.
Walz, a Nebraska native, enlisted in the National Guard out of high school at 17 years old and served 24 years. He also worked in agriculture and manufacturing before graduating from Chadron State College with a degree in education.
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 1: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz arrives to speak at a press conference regarding new gun legislation at City Hall on August 1, 2024 in Bloomington, Minnesota. Walz is thought to be on a short list of potential vice presidential running mates for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The veteran temporarily taught in China and on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is one of the poorest areas in the country.
Walz won his congressional bid in 2006 and served for 12 years before pivoting his career in 2019 to assume the governorship. In that time, he gained recognition as a top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in congressional history.
During his time in Congress, he served on three House committees: Agriculture, Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs. He was also the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress.
Who is JD Vance?
A Yale School graduate, Vance went on to become a best-selling author and Ohio senator.
Vance was gaining recognition for the publication of his 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” as Trump was entering the White House. Vance was openly critical of the former reality TV star at the time, referencing himself in a 2016 interview as a “never-Trump guy.”
That changed in 2021 as Vance eyed an Ohio Senate seat that he won and still holds. Vance deleted tweets from 2016 calling Trump “reprehensible” and an “idiot,” Politifact reported.
FILE – JD Vance, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, speaks at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2022. A high-tech sustainable food company in Appalachia that was promoted by JD Vance and financed with help from his venture capital firm is facing five lawsuits alleging it misled investors. None of the lawsuits against Kentucky-based AppHarvest names Vance, who is Ohio’s Republican U.S. Senate nominee and left the company’s board last year. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar, File)
The public didn’t forget about Vance’s former stance, however, and the then-budding politician acknowledged his criticism of Trump during a 2021 Fox News interview.
“Like a lot of people, I criticized Trump back in 2016, and I ask folks not to judge me based on what I said back in 2016 because I’ve been very open about the fact that I did say those very critical things, and I regret them,” Vance said. “I was wrong about the guy. I think he made a good president.”
NewsNation’s Katie Smith contributed to this report.
