ST. PAUL, Minn. — In a lighthearted ceremony on Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz received a turkey as he resumes his role as Minnesota’s governor after the recent presidential election defeat with running mate Kamala Harris. Unlike the turkeys pardoned by President Biden in Washington, Walz humorously noted that he wouldn’t be granting a pardon, stating, “because in Minnesota we know turkeys are delicious.”
The turkey, which weighed in at 41.8 pounds and is affectionately named Tom, was raised by Paisley VonBerge, a leader from the Future Farmers of America based in Hutchinson. This turkey is set to take center stage during her family’s Thanksgiving celebration. Initially flapping its wings and losing feathers when lifted onto the display table, Tom soon settled down, blissfully unaware of its impending fate. “After today, this bird will go back to my farm to be enjoyed the way that turkeys are intended,” Paisley remarked.
Walz couldn’t help but add to the humor, which elicited hearty laughter from the audience when he said, “That is very Minnesotan. We don’t hide the fact we love our turkeys.” Minnesota is known for its turkey production, leading the nation with 38.5 million turkeys raised in 2023, as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Notably, North Carolina follows with 29 million birds but edged Minnesota out last year in total weight produced. North Carolina’s total reached over 1.07 billion pounds compared to Minnesota’s more than 1.05 billion pounds.
The gathering marked Walz’s first interaction with journalists at the state Capitol since the previous summer, prior to being selected as Harris’s companion on the ticket. While he has been conducting private meetings with staff, legislative leaders, and potential judicial appointees, the public appearances are just starting to ramp up. Walz expressed no regrets about his decision to run for the vice presidency and proclaimed pride in his campaign.
The Walz-Harris ticket garnered over 74 million votes, although they fell short of the nearly 77 million received by the president-elect Donald Trump. Walz acknowledged that their vote count reflected a positive reception of their message, albeit not sufficient to secure victory, stating, “not quite enough.” He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share Minnesota’s narrative, emphasizing, “that we get things done together and we’re pretty hopeful people.”
As Walz prepares for the upcoming legislative session, he anticipates sharing power with the Republican Party. This marks a significant change from the previous two years, during which the Democrats enjoyed full control of both the governor’s office and the Legislature. The Democrats retained a slim one-vote majority in the Senate, while the House is confirmed to be evenly split at 67-67, pending any potential court challenges in a few districts.
This divided structure will require cooperation among lawmakers to establish a balanced budget before the session concludes in May. Walz notes that they successfully navigated power-sharing arrangements in 2019, when the Republicans held the Senate and Minnesota had one of the few divided legislatures in the country. “We’re going to have some opportunities to continue to move in the positive direction we’ve gone,” he assured, optimistic about the prospects ahead.