Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), tapped by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris as her running mate, has been known as a staunch supporter of infrastructure spending throughout his two terms in the state capitol.

Walz, who was elected governor in 2018 and reelected in 2022, also served in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2019, and is seen as a solid backer of organized labor, which cheered his selection for the Harris ticket.

Tim Worke, CEO of Associated General Contractors Minnesota chapter, told ENR in an interview that "he's been a strong stalwart for infrastructure investment of all kinds."

Worke says that in Walz's first term as governor, beginning in 2019, he lacked a majority in the legislature but he proposed a gas-tax increase and "took some hits, saying we needed to improve our transportation infrastructure."

But in the end, the legislature approved the largest capital bonding issue in Minnesota history, amounting to slightly more than $2 billion, says Worke.

In Walz's second term, with the legislature in Democratic control, he was able to go further, resulting in a $2.6-billion infrastructure package, a state record for such legislation. 

The bill, signed into law June 1, 2023, covered a wide range of types of infrastructure. Components include $501 million for water infrastructure, $403 million for transportation, including local roads and bridges, $78 million for a veterans’ home and $120 million for community-based organizations and nonprofits.

Walz has supported permitting reform for construction projects. He said in a 2023 appearance at an Esri Inc. conference that "permitting is too slow, it’s too cumbersome in the United States of America."

Walz added, "That’s why developers of infrastructure are looking for other places to invest. We have to move this work forward. Why are we leaving these projects undone?”

Walz also said at the 2023 conference that while he was not opposed to new energy pipelines as a matter of principle, the political calculus to support and approve them as a governor has to be weighed.

“As governor," he said, "if you build a pipeline, it’s at least five to 10 years of planning, and you will get 10,000 people you consider friends chaining themselves to the gate of your house."

Walz faced criticism for not revoking state permits in construction of about 282 miles of the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement in Minnesota, the last section of the more than 1,000-mile Canada-U.S. project by Alberta-based energy developer Enbridge Inc. It faced strong environmental and native opposition and numerous lawsuits but was completed in 2021. 

“His lack of action to stop the Line 3 pipeline shows a troubling deference to fossil fuel interests,” said Collin Rees, political director of Oil Change U.S., in a statement. Neither the Harris campaign nor Walz' office commented to media.

But Walz also has been a strong advocate for legislation and policies aimed at addressing climate change and environmental justice issues. Policies and programs enacted during his tenure include legislation to increase access to electric vehicles, assess cumulative impacts in environmental justice communities, and replace lead drinking water pipes. 

In February 2023, Walz signed legislation requiring all Minnesota electric utilities to produce carbon-free electricity by 2040. This June, he signed legislation to speed up permitting for energy projects in Minnesota by creating two tracks for environmental reviews: standard reviews for small solar, wind and power-line projects; and more intensive studies for larger projects, such as major transmission lines or power plants.

Organized labor hailed Walz's selection. Kenneth W. Cooper, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers international president, cited the union jobs created by the state infrastructure law and said that Walz "has led one of the nation's most pro-union, pro-worker state governments."

But the Associated Builders and Contractors sharply criticized Harris's choice.

"As a reliable partner to organized labor, Walz has led several misguided efforts that hamstring small business owners and their ability to effectively run their businesses, shut out the overwhelming majority of construction workers from public works projects and given unfair advantages to unions in their quest to broaden their membership, all at the expense of small business owners and taxpayers," Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, and Adam Hanson, president of ABC of Minnesota/North Dakota, said in a joint statement.