100 days in, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hits the road, hoping for break in partisan gridlock

Riding in a jet-black SUV with tinted windows, Gov. Tim Walz zoomed past traffic on I-35 as he was hustled to a business showcase near Duluth, where he arrived with his usual military promptness for the first stop of another packed day.

In his first 100 days, the DFL governor has brought a caffeinated energy to the job, often traveling to solidly Republican regions outside the Twin Cities as he tries to enact an ambitious Democratic agenda on health care, education and infrastructure while also living up to the spirit of his “One Minnesota” campaign mantra.

Besides Duluth, last week’s “community prosperity” tour — Walz’s fourth statewide tour since his inauguration — took him through Marshall, Austin, Winona and Baxter. Altogether, he’s clocked more than 3,500 miles crisscrossing the state since he became governor in January.

The campaign-style tour, coming during the Minnesota Legislature’s weeklong recess, was designed to use Walz’s retail politicking chops and break through the partisan divisions gripping the State Capitol with five weeks remaining in the session.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/100-days-in-walz-hits-the-road-hoping-for-break-in-partisan-gridlock/508853502/