All About Tim Walz's Son, Gus Walz

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, welcomed their only son in October 2006

Tim Walz is a proud father of two children, including his son Gus.

The Minnesota governor and his wife, Gwen Walz, welcomed their elder child, Hope, in January 2001. Five years later, they expanded their family with the birth of Gus in October 2006.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris picked Tim as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election, his family has been by his side, supporting him at rallies and events like the Democratic National Convention.

During Tim's speech at the DNC on Aug. 21, Gus could be seen cheering for his father in the stands, even getting emotional as the governor accepted the vice presidential nomination.

"Hope, Gus, and Gwen you are my entire world, and I love you," Tim said in his speech.

Related: Tim Walz's 2 Kids: All About His Daughter Hope and Son Gus

As a teenager, Gus was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and anxiety — all of which Tim and Gwen called his "secret power" in an exclusive August 2024 statement to PEOPLE.

"We love our Gus," Tim and Gwen told PEOPLE. "We are proud of the man he’s growing into, and we are so excited to have him with us on this journey."

From how he's supported his father on his campaign journey so far to what makes Tim most proud of Gus, here's everything to know about Tim Walz's son, Gus.

He was born in October 2006

Gwen and Tim welcomed Gus on Oct. 13, 2006, five years after their daughter, Hope. Throughout his political journey, Tim has been open about his and Gwen's struggles with infertility.

During his speech at the DNC, Tim reflected on the "absolute agony" of the seven years of fertility treatments for him and Gwen to conceive Hope.

"If you've never experienced the hell that is infertility, I can guarantee you, you know somebody who has," Tim said.

Tim promised Gus he would get him a dog if he won the 2018 gubernatorial election

Before Tim became governor of Minnesota, he made Gus an off-handed promise that if he won the race, they could get a dog.

"I think it was March of '17, and Gus said he'd always wanted a dog," Tim told The Minnesota Star Tribune in September 2019. "And I said, 'Well, Gus, if we win that governor's race, we'll get a dog.' "

The following year, Tim did win the election — and Gus reminded his father of their deal. Tim joked to the outlet that Gus never brought up the dog after their initial conversation, but it was the first thing he said after he learned of his father's win.

"It came on TV that they called the race and Gus immediately screamed, 'Oh, now I get a puppy!' " Tim said.

In September 2019, the Walz family adopted their Labrador mix, who Gus named Scout.

"Everybody's thrilled. Well, I shouldn't say everybody," the governor said. "Gus' sister Hope said it took two days to replace her — she went to university and we replaced her with a puppy."

Gus was diagnosed with a learning disorder as a teenager

When Gus was a child, Tim and Gwen noticed his unique personality and how he differed from his peers.

"When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates," the couple told PEOPLE. "Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself."

When he was a teenager, Gus was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disorder as well as anxiety and ADHD. In this case, "non-verbal" is not the same as "non-speaking."

Tim and Gwen shared that it took time for the family to best figure out how to help Gus and set him up for success, but they added that over time, they realized his diagnoses were not a hindrance to his growth.

"It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power," they said.

The couple noted that Gus "is brilliant, hyper-aware of details that many of us pass by, and above all else, he’s an excellent son and brother to his sibling."

He got his driver's license when he turned 17

Two weeks after his 17th birthday in October 2023, Gus passed a milestone: he earned his driver's license. Tim commemorated the special moment on Instagram alongside a photo of him in the passenger seat as Gus drove.

"My son Gus just passed his (what do you call it? A drivers license exam?). Proud dad moment," he wrote in the caption.

Gus is a senior in high school

Gus was only 12 when his father became governor but the now-17-year-old is in the same position his sister was in as his dad is running to become vice president: starting his senior year of high school.

While Hope graduated from Mankato West High School — in the town where the Walzes lived before Tim became governor — Gus attends school in St. Paul.

He was rooting for his dad at the DNC

On Aug. 21, Tim took the stage at the DNC to give a speech about his and Harris' platform. In it, he spoke of his family and his dedication to them.

When the camera panned to Gus in the crowd, he could be seen getting emotional, crying and yelling "That's my dad!" as he stood up to give him a standing ovation.

Tim then beckoned his family to join him on stage, where Gus enveloped him in a big hug and took a bow alongside his sister and mother.

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