From Radical Boot Camp to Congress: Tim Walz’s Progressive Origins Revealed

Democrat vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz’s political journey is rooted in his involvement with a progressive training camp inspired by the radical vision of Paul Wellstone, a professor-turned-politician with close ties to the Democratic Socialists of America and strong influences from Marxist figures and extreme far-left ideologies.

Before entering politics, Tim Walz was known as a high school teacher and football coach in Mankato, Minnesota — an outsider who embraced a humble, folksy image. However, his true political foundation began in January 2005 when he attended Camp Wellstone, a training ground for grassroots progressives founded and named in honor of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone to carry on his legacy and train people in his methods.

The boot camp was designed to teach community organizing, large-scale grassroots campaigning, as well as progressive leadership and electoral tactics. Under the guidance of radical socialist activists, Walz would polish his political skills and master the fundamentals of running effective campaigns, culminating in his 2006 upset victory in Minnesota’s staunchly conservative 1st Congressional District. The win followed an insurgent campaign aided by fellow Camp Wellstone alumni, including future Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

Paul Wellstone: From Radical Professor to Political Icon 

Prior to his political career, Paul Wellstone, the inspiration for the camp, was a political science professor at Carleton College who earned his Ph.D. with a dissertation on black militants. He was an ardent advocate of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and the belief in confrontation and acts of civil disobedience as a means of achieving political power. 

Wellstone would teach such methods in his classes and even invited Alinsky — the father of modern community organizing — to his campus, once remarking: “I am an old Alinsky organizer.” He also had prominent figures such as noted welfare activist Frances Fox Piven and 1960s radical George Wiley, widely regarded as the father of the “welfare rights” movement, speak in his classes.

Wellstone’s political rise was supported heavily by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which played a key role in his electoral success. He served as an adviser to the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and, throughout his career, maintained close ties to the DSA, which recognized Wellstone as “explicitly democratic socialist in orientation.”

In 1990, with the help of the DSA, who dubbed it a “watershed campaign,” he stunned the political establishment by defeating two-term Republican incumbent Rudy Boschwitz in a Senate race, despite being outspent sevenfold.

 In 1996, DSA leader Christine Riddiough was dispatched to Minnesota to aid Wellstone’s reelection, helping to organize volunteers in key constituencies, which undoubtedly contributed to his nine-point victory. Following his win, the Washington Post described Wellstone as “not really a [conventional] liberal at all.” 

“He is a radical and, yes, a 1960s radical at that,” the paper explained. Similarly, progressive Mother Jones magazine held him up as “the first 1960s radical elected to the US Senate.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called Wellstone a politician of “extraordinary vision,” while then-Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), in his final speech on the Senate floor, described Wellstone as a “tireless, passionate champion for working families.”

Wellstone would later die in a plane crash along with his wife, daughter, and staff members while campaigning for reelection just days before the 2002 election.

Remarkably, both Wellstone and Walz share striking parallels in their political paths. 

Walz’s 2006 upset mirrored that of Wellstone, his role model, as both transitioned from educators to politicians, achieving surprising victories in Minnesota over better-funded incumbents. Like Wellstone, Walz embraced a grassroots, big-hearted, small-town persona, often presenting himself as a relatable, flannel-wearing progressive.

Camp Wellstone: Birthplace of Walz’s Political Career

Once I decided to run for Congress, I went to Camp Wellstone in January of 2005 to learn how to do it. I had no idea; I’d never given a stump speech before. 

— Tim Walz 

Camp Wellstone was more than just a training program — it served as the incubator for a new generation of progressive leaders, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, and Flanagan, all of whom were trainers the year Walz attended and are now in positions of power in Minnesota.

Founded in January 2003, roughly two months after Wellstone’s death, the camp cultivated a new generation of leaders, using community organizing methods inspired by radical activist Saul Alinsky to shape prominent figures in American politics.

The stated mission of Wellstone Action, which operates the camp, is to honor Wellstone’s legacy by continuing his work through training, educating, mobilizing, and organizing “a vast network of progressive individuals and organizations.”

According to its website, the camp trains candidates, campaign workers, and organizers in “practical skills in progressive political action,” while offering role-specific training in progressive organizing, led by “the nation’s leading experts in grassroots politics and organizing.”

According to Jeff Blodgett, Wellstone’s former campaign manager who would later become Obama’s state director, the camp would turn out “to be a place [for] people who felt like they needed to step up now and kind of follow in Wellstone’s footsteps.” Blodgett himself is a product of radical activism, having trained at the Rockwood Leadership Institute, a hub for progressive activists, many of whom have gone on to work in far-left organizations such as MoveOn.org.

The advisory committee that guided the Wellstone camp featured a slew of radical socialist leaders, including Frances Fox Piven, co-author of the the anti-capitalist Cloward-Piven Strategy aimed at destabilizing capitalism, and Heather Booth, a notorious lifelong radical community activist, founder of Midwest Academy, and self-described dedicated disciple of Saul Alinsky. Booth also had an active role in teaching sessions, where she was known for engaging participants.

Also included were influential union leaders like Andy Stern (SEIU), Gerald McEntee (AFSCME), and Richard Trumka (AFL-CIO), along with civil rights activist Julian Bond, who was closely associated with the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).

“Wellstone Action is hands down the ‘go to’ training center in the progressive movement,” once remarked SEIU Chief of Staff Jon Youngdahl”. “No one does it better.”

The camp is bolstered by a vast network of far-left organizations and influential funders. Groups like the radical Midwest Academy and far left-wing advocacy organizations such as Moveon.org partnered with the camp to train their members. Additionally, “generous” financial support came from the Tides Foundation and far-left donors, including left-wing billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Rockefeller Family Foundation, and the Bauman Family Foundation, among many others. 

This broad base of support amplified the camp’s reach in promoting progressive political action.

Camp Wellstone’s radical influence is also evident from the reading materials recommended for attendees on the Wellstone Action site, which includes titles like Rules for Radicals, hailed as a “must-read for all progressive activists,” and Poor People’s Movements by DSA Honorary Chairwoman Barbara Ehrenreich, who famously celebrated the re-release of the Communist Manifesto on its 150th anniversary. 

In January 2005, Walz, a newcomer with no political experience, joined the camp — arriving at the training as a “paunchy 40-year-old in jeans and a T-shirt” with an “extreme long-shot political goal.” Despite his lack of political background, Walz would quickly absorb the values of progressive activism at the camp, honing his skills and political organizing knowledge. 

Wellstone’s son, David, noted that Walz immediately stood out. “You could tell he was a leader,” he said, adding that he believes the camp “helped shape the way that he politicked.”

Longtime progressive activist Pam Costain, who served as Wellstone Action’s education and training director at the time, recalled Walz as “so impressive” that Wellstone Action used him as an example in future trainings.

Walz is featured in Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way, a guidebook by Wellstone Action which showcases his political journey — that falsely claims that he served in Afghanistan — as a case study on how grassroots, community-driven candidates can unseat established incumbents. This endorsement of Walz further aligns him with Wellstone’s political philosophy and the broader progressive movement.

Furthermore, long-time progressive activist and then camp trainer Marcia Avner noted Walz’s growth from the 2005 camp.

“What you see is what we saw back then, but it has been strengthened with extraordinary experience,” she said. “He has been so seasoned by the work here.”

When elected to congress the year after completing the program, Walz became Camp Wellstone’s first successful alumnus at the federal level. He has repeatedly credited the camp (now rebranded as re:power) — which continues to produce leaders who push the boundaries of progressive politics in the U.S. — for shaping his political skills, particularly in grassroots mobilization and message development. 

Flanagan’s Rise: From Camp Wellstone to Minnesota’s Second-in-Command

Walz’s partnership with Peggy Flanagan, his lieutenant governor and former Camp Wellstone trainer, underscores his deep ties to the far-left. Flanagan, who credits Wellstone with her own political rise, stated that “walking by the Wellstone for Senate office my senior year of college changed the entire trajectory of my life.” 

She once recalled her father, long-time Native American land rights and sovereignty activist Marvin Manypenny, telling her, “I want to burn down the system, and you want to get into the system and change it from the inside out,” echoing Alinsky and Piven’s approach of working within institutions to dismantle them.

Flanagan has criticized her state for only being ideal for white residents only, supported the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue during the George Floyd riots, and described the state’s government as a tool of genocide against people of color and Indigenous communities.

As Walz’s top advisor, Flanagan has been instrumental in shaping his progressive agenda behind the scenes, often speaking before him at public events, with one news outlet reporting “she has a big say in policies and positions.” After helping him secure his first congressional win following Camp Wellstone, she has continued to play a key role throughout his career. 

She once proudly remarked about Walz, “He was my camper; I taught him everything he knows!” Flanagan would later be described by state Democrats as his “progressive whisperer,” with Walz admitting, “[For] every major decision she is there from the beginning.”

When Walz left Congress to run for governor, he chose her as his running mate, elevating her to lieutenant governor. Together, they pushed through some of Minnesota’s most progressive legislation, including sweeping environmental reforms and radical social justice initiatives, in what became known as the “Minnesota Miracle.” 

Both Walz and Flanagan — whose influence reflects the broader Wellstone strategy of pushing far-left policies through grassroots mobilization and political pressure — frequently invoke Wellstone’s legacy, with Flanagan stating, “We all do better when we all do better,” a mantra of Wellstone’s populist vision.

Melvin Carter, the mayor of St. Paul and another trainer at the 2005 camp, called Flanagan a “strong influencer” on Walz’s progressive policies, adding that she “embodies” the state of Paul Wellstone. 

Flanagan herself credits Wellstone’s vision for Minnesota for shaping her political path, stating, “I would not be where I am today if not for Senator Paul Wellstone and his vision for Minnesota.”

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Like Flanagan, Walz has also regularly paid tribute to Paul Wellstone, especially on the anniversary of his death, in posts reflecting a continued dedication to Wellstone’s principles.

Wellstone’s Radical Legacy Endures

Walz’s political career has been significantly influenced by the vision of Paul Wellstone — the radical Alinskyite professor-turned-politician who he credits as the man who “inspired me to run for congress.”

In fact, Walz’s deep personal connection to Wellstone is exemplified by the fact that he carried a piece of the wreckage from the plane crash that killed the senator, using it as a personal keepsake throughout his journey to office.

His connections through Camp Wellstone — along with its advisory board of prominent progressives, partnerships, and collaborations with figures like Minnesota AG Keith Allison a — underscore the strong far-left influences that have shaped his political approach.

The matter comes amid growing concerns that the Walz-Harris ticket may be far more radical than it appears, with deep connections to far-left progressive and socialist movements hinting at a potential shift toward more extreme policy positions if the Democrats are elected.  

On Sunday, Bernie Sanders posited that Vice President Kamala Harris adjusted her positions to be “pragmatic” in order to “win the election” during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” maintaining that she has not abandoned her progressive ideals.

Walz’s career has also been marked by controversies surrounding his ties to China. His involvement in a student exchange program following the Tiananmen Square massacre, along with multiple subsidized trips to China — Walz and the Chinese government jointly sponsored scholarships for American students to visit China. Between 1989 and 2003, Walz travelled with hundreds of students to China — have raised serious questions about his relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.

Furthermore, the House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into the matter, focusing on his numerous visits and connections to CCP-linked entities.

Last month, following Vice President Kamala Harris’s announcement of her selection of Walz, the radical pro-Palestinian Uncommitted National Movement — which urged Democratic voters to protest President Joe Biden’s support for Israel by casting non-Biden votes in state primaries — celebrated the vice-presidential candidate pick, who has referred to uncommitted voters as “civically engaged.”

Citing senior adviser Elianne Farhat, the group suggested that Walz “has demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve as a public leader, uniting Democrats’ diverse coalition to achieve significant milestones for Minnesota families of all backgrounds.”

In addition, the DSA praised the selection of Walz as Harris’s running mate, insisting it showed “the world” that the DSA and its allies on the left “are a force that cannot be ignored.”