What Walz’s long record on health care means for Black voters

Although he represented a rural district in Congress, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz favored policies that benefited his Black constituents

News Analysis

Since President Joe Biden stepped out of the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have reenergized an election that was long on pessimism and short on ideas about the issues. 

That includes health care, which has long been a contentious issue in presidential campaigns and a signature issue for Walz. As Minnesota’s 41st governor, he oversaw or implemented significant changes in his state’s healthcare system on hot-button issues—from drug costs to gender-affirming care for minors. 

With Harris as the first Black and South Asian woman to win the nomination of a major political party, it’s worth examining how Walz’s influence could shape health care for Black people if he and Harris take the White House. 

While Walz served six terms as a member of Congress representing a rural, Republican-leaning Minneapolis suburb, the former high school teacher and football coach has a progressive-leaning healthcare record, one that’s closely tied to economic issues. But perhaps the most significant impact his record could have on Black Americans is in the realm of gun violence. 

An avid hunter and former National Guard soldier, Walz was a staunch National Rifle Association member before changing his stance, donating the campaign funds the NRA had given his campaign, and advocating for gun safety laws. This is a crucial health issue: Gun violence is the leading cause of death among Black children and young adults.  

Roughly 60% of Americans killed by a firearm each year are Black, and they are 11.5 times more likely to die by gunfire than whites. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared gun violence a public health crisis.

“I’ve spent my time since last week’s shooting listening closely to students, parents, law enforcement, teachers, sportsmen, and survivors of gun violence all across our state,” Walz said in a Facebook post after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 

“I’ve heard their anger, grief, and frustration at the division and misunderstanding that has been keeping us from actually doing something,” he said. While campaigning for governor, Walz proposed an assault weapons ban for his state. After being elected governor, he established universal background checks for gun purchases, red flag laws, and other gun control measures.

Under Walz’s gubernatorial leadership, Minnesota has substantially reduced healthcare costs for state residents. In June, he signed legislation prohibiting hospitals and other providers from denying medically necessary care to patients with unpaid medical debts. The move could pay dividends for Black people: Multiple studies show Black adults are substantially more likely to have medical debt than white adults. 

“Among Black adults, one in three have overdue medical bills, compared to one in four among white adults,” according to a study by the nonprofit Lown Institute. “While medical debt is a widespread issue in America, research shows that Black Americans are at a higher risk of medical debt and its consequences,” including poor credit scores, harassment by debt collectors, stress-related health issues, and a widening of the Black-white wealth gap.  

The medical debt bill, which will take effect Oct. 1, also requires that healthcare corporations forgive medical debt for thousands of Minnesotans who had it transferred to them after a spouse’s death or whose bills have errors. The bill also bans medical debt from appearing negatively on credit scores. 

In 2020, Walz signed a law enabling qualified residents to obtain a 30-day supply of insulin for $35 and heavily discounted prices for up to a year for eligible individuals. This, too, is significant for the Black community: Just over 12 percent of Black people have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared with 7.4% of whites, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Two years later, Walz signed a law allocating $92.7 million for mental health, setting aside $60 million to increase the number of beds in mental health facilities, recruit and hire more mental health professionals, and increase the number of mobile crisis units. The bill also funds children’s mental health services, grants, and loan forgiveness for students wanting to become mental health professionals. 

This, too, could be beneficial to the Black community. Studies show only 25% of Black people seek mental health treatment when needed, compared to 40% of white people, but stigma, along with lack of access, has been an issue.

On the issue of reproductive rights, Minnesota was one of the first states to pass a law codifying abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022. And last year the state enacted a bill making the right to an abortion a state law.

It’s another important issue for the community: Nearly six in 10 Black women of reproductive age live in states with bans or threats to abortion access, according to a 2024 study by the National Partnership for Women and Families.  

The Minnesota measure includes a shield law protecting abortion providers and patients from legal actions initiated in states that have abortion bans. 

To underscore the issue, Harris visited a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic that provides abortions to highlight the Biden administration’s commitment to protect abortion rights. She is the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic. 

While in Congress, Walz focused on veterans’ issues and was known for his inclination to support bipartisan legislation. He helped call for research into the possibility of using medical cannabis to treat veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. He also pursued legislation on veterans’ mental health and economic issues. 

Last year, Walz also approved laws banning conversion therapy and protecting people getting gender-affirming care. The state also enacted a statewide paid sick leave law signed by Walz. The law provides medical and family leave for up to 20 weeks each year so recipients can care for sick family members. The sick leave law will take effect in 2026. 

Jennifer Porter Gore is a writer living in the Washington, D.C., area.

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