Once Backed by the N.R.A., Tim Walz Now Champions Tighter Gun Controls

Early in his political career, when he represented a largely rural district in Congress, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was a darling of the National Rifle Association.

The powerful group endorsed him, donated to his campaigns and once gave him an A rating. In 2016, Guns & Ammo magazine included him on its list of top 20 politicians for gun owners. Mr. Walz, after all, was an Army veteran and the rare gun-owning Democrat who spoke of his love for hunting.

But during his first campaign for governor in 2018, Mr. Walz began supporting tighter firearm restrictions. Shortly after a teenage gunman opened fire at a Florida high school in February 2018, Mr. Walz spoke out in favor of an assault weapons ban.

At the time, Mr. Walz — who is among a handful of politicians that Vice President Kamala Harris is said to be vetting as a possible running mate — said he was uniquely suited to sell gun rights supporters on more restrictive measures.

“This is about bringing in responsible gun owners who understand something’s got to be done,” he told The Star Tribune.

During that campaign, Mr. Walz celebrated that the N.R.A. had downgraded him to an “F” rating. And as governor, he has signed into law a handful of gun control measures, including one that went into effect on Thursday increasing penalties for acquiring a weapon on behalf of someone who is not eligible to own a firearm.

“There’s a vision to reduce gun violence with absolutely no infringement on those who lawfully own guns, to use them for things that many of us cherish,” Mr. Walz told reporters on Thursday in Bloomington, Minn.

In 2023, Mr. Walz signed legislation giving law enforcement officials broader tools to remove weapons from people who are deemed to pose a risk to themselves and others. The law also expanded background checks for weapon sales.

“As a veteran, gun owner, hunter and dad, I know basic gun safety isn’t a threat to the Second Amendment,” Mr. Walz said at the time. “It’s about keeping our kids safe.”

The N.R.A. criticized the new Minnesota measures, arguing they unfairly criminalized certain gun transactions and deprived people of due process and their Second Amendment rights.

Mr. Walz declined on Thursday to speak about his conversations with the Harris campaign. But he said he hoped the vice president would pick a running mate with whom she was “compatible,” and who, in her estimation, would help Democrats win in November.