WCCO is looking back on some of the top stories of 2024 in our "Year-In-Review" series.
Minnesota was at the center of the political universe over the summer, as the presidential campaign dragged on and with Governor Tim Walz joining Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket.
It was a whirlwind campaign, made all the more unique with the late exit from the race by President Joe Biden and the quick nomination for his VP, Kamala Harris. On August 6, she made the decision that Tim Walz would be her running mate.
That timing, with the Democratic National Convention less than two weeks away, put Walz on the road immediately - and for nearly the entire remainder of the campaign heading into November's election.
That made it difficult for Walz to attend what is a traditional stop for Minnesota Governors at the Minnesota State Fair. But he got there for a short visit, as told by WCCO's Al Schoch.
"Are you coming to the State Fair," WCCO's Susie Jones asked Walz at the DNC.
"Unsure. State Fair? I'll be at," Walz sort of answered.
But when the Great Minnesota Get-Together rolled around in late August, there was Governor Walz.
Walz arrived at the historic fairgrounds around 10:00 a.m. He didn't have the whole day to himself. With heavy security and national media in tow, Walz was dropped off at the Dairy Building, where he greeted supporters and served up some ice cream.
"For those not from Minnesota, just to be clear, there's a lot of great state fairs in the country," Walz said that day. "This is the best one, and I say that having tried pork chops in Iowa and then other ones."
Walz did happen to buy and eat one of those famous Minnesota State Fair a pork chops on a stick. After serving that ice cream, he also got a malt for himself.
Walz also took time to meet with Princess Kay of the Milky Way, where they discussed the process of sitting for a butter sculpture, a tradition going back decades for Princess Kay.
"Great state fair, great tradition, with Princess Kay of the Milky Way, agriculture is still king in Minnesota," Walz told his gathered supporters.
The visit lasted about an hour, but vendors reported a big spike in sales that morning.
Walz did break a personal tradition by not attending Opening Day at the Fair, a tradition he can now keep following the election that the Harris-Walz ticket lost to President-elect Donald Trump.