Opinion editor’s note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
It’s W-A-L-Z, people
Minnesota governor’s name too often gets an extra letter as he makes his national debut.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
August 7, 2024 at 9:29PM
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With Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz now serving as Kamala Harris’ running mate, we’re providing this as a public service to the rest of the nation:
His last name is pronounced “walls,” as in something you hang artwork on. It’s not “waltz” — the slow, graceful dance often accompanied by the famous piece “The Blue Danube.”
With Walz now on the national stage as the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate, those who speak and spell the governor’s last name are often inclined to add the letter “t,” a mistake you’ll come across if you’re on social media or watching news coverage. In fact, as editors who publish work from a wide range of contributors, we’ve long seen this in raw copy, but according to our archive, “Tim Waltz” has slipped into newsprint only once in reference to the politician, in 2011. Knock on wood.
Why this extra letter gets in there so often is understandable. As noted above, the waltz is a universally known form of dance.
Adding to the confusion: There’s a movie star whose name does have that “t.” It’s Christoph Waltz, an Austrian-German actor who won two Oscars for roles in two Quentin Tarantino films, “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained.”
But Walz, who was chosen for his everyman appeal, doesn’t need that fancy extra “t” like the movie star. Nor does he strike us as someone who spends a lot of time waltzing, and that’s OK. Not many of us Midwesterners do.
There’s only one “t” in Walz’s name and it’s the first letter of his first name.
Repeat after us: Just one “t.”
Easy-peasy.
Now that Gov. Tim Walz’s vice presidential bid has ended, there’s important work to do at home. Reinvigorating that “One Minnesota” campaign is a must.
