How many times Tim Walz said 'Minnesota' during the VP debate

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CBS News hosts a vice-presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz moderated by Norah ODonnell and Margaret Brennan on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Pictured: Gov. Tim Walz. (Photo by Michele Crow ((Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke about Minnesota a lot during the vice presidential debate on Tuesday night, mentioning the state's name dozens of times. 

How many times Walz said ‘Minnesota’

During the debate with Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance, Walz highlighted Minnesota and the policies he signed into law as he worked to make his case to voters. 

READ MORE: Reactions to Walz's Minnesota comments in vice presidential debate

Walz often answered questions from moderators by saying "In Minnesota," with the state's name being said 26 times by the governor throughout the 90-minute debate, according to a transcript of the debate. 

What Walz said about Minnesota during VP debate

Here are all the times he talked about Minnesota, according to the transcript:

• Walz said the largest solar manufacturing plant in North America is in Minnesota when he was speaking about climate change and Hurricane Helene.
• In response to Vance's comments about how more manufacturing and energy production should be done in the United States and make more solar panels in the U.S., Walz responded: "We are. In Minnesota."
• In response to the climate change question, Walz also mentioned Minnesota twice about this past summer's storms in Minnesota. He said "Look, our number one export cannot be topsoil from erosion from these massive storms. We saw it in Minnesota this summer. And thinking about, ‘How do we respond to that?’ we're thinking ahead on this and what Kamala Harris has been able to do in Minnesota, we're starting to weatherproof some of these things."
• In a question about the economy and Harris' plan to include tax credits for manufacturing, housing and a renewed child tax credit, Walz referenced Minnesota's child care tax credit that reduced childhood poverty and housing policies in Minneapolis that led to housing prices going down.
• When responding to Vance's critiques about what Harris has done for the middle class, Walz discussed Donald Trump's response to COVID-19 when he was president. He said, "Look, if you're going to be President, you don't have all the answers. Donald Trump believes he does. My pro tip of the day is this, if you need heart surgery, listen to the people at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, not Donald Trump."
• Moderator Margaret Brennan asked Walz about his comments about his time in Tiananmen Square, which were fact-checked by Minnesota Public Radio. In what was one of Walz's verbal stumbles during the debate, he called himself a "knucklehead" and went on to say "The people of Minnesota were able to elect me to governor twice."
• In an answer about reproductive rights following Roe v. Wade being overturned, Walz touted policies in Minnesota, saying "We made sure that we put women in charge of their health care."
• In his answer about reproductive rights, Walz also said, "In Minnesota, we are ranked first in health care for a reason. We trust women. We trust doctors."
• In a response to Vance's comments about reproductive rights, Walz said Trump made accusations about Minnesota that weren't true.
• In his response to Vance on reproductive rights, Walz also said, "There's a very real chance, had Amber Thurman lived in Minnesota, she would be alive today."
• In his response to Vance's comments on reproductive rights, Walz said "Minnesota's a state with one of the lowest teen pregnancy rates."
• In Walz's response to Vance's questions about Minnesota's reproductive rights laws, he said "Things worked best when Roe v. Wade was in place. When we do a restoration of Roe, that works best. That doesn't preclude us from increasing funding for children. It doesn't increase us from making sure that once that child's born, like in Minnesota, they get meals, they get early childhood education, they get healthcare. So the hiding behind we're going to do all these other things when you're not proposing them in your budget? "
• When Walz was discussing gun control, he told a story of his son, Gus Walz, who witnessed a shooting at a community center. He then discussed Minnesota's gun laws, saying "In Minnesota, we've enacted enhanced red flag laws, enhanced background checks, and we can start to get data."
• When asked about Walz previously opposing an assault weapons ban but changed his position on it, Walz said he changed his mind after sitting with Sandy Hook victim's parents and then mentioned Minnesota's gun laws, saying "The number one, where the most firearm deaths happen in Minnesota are rural suicides. And we have an epidemic of children getting guns and shooting themselves."
• In his answer to a question about the Harris-Walz campaign's promise to build new homes and downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers, Walz said the program is something similar to what's being done in Minnesota — making investments in housing. He also mentioned Minneapolis, which he says has seen some of the lowest inflation rates.
• In response to Vance's allegation that Harris is letting in migrants and Trump's idea to use federal lands for housing, Walz said Minnesota three times. the first time, saying "Now, Minnesota doesn't have a lot of federal lands."
• In his response to Trump's idea of using federal lands, Walz said some people care deeply about national parks and federal lands, adding "Look, Minnesota, we protect things," going on to mention the amount of fresh water located in Minnesota and efforts to protect lands because "they belong to all of us."
• In response to Trump's idea of using federal lands, Walz said there are better ways to do this. "We've seen it in Minnesota. We're able to refurbish some of these houses."
• In response to a question about child care, Walz said Minnesota four times. On the first mention, he said "Look, we're home in Minnesota to some of the largest Fortune 500 companies … those companies provide paid family medical leave."
• In response to the childcare question, Walz touted Minnesota again. "We in Minnesota passed a paid family medical leave."
• In response to the childcare question, Walz said Harris has made paid family leave a priority, adding "We implemented it in Minnesota, and we see growth."
• In response to the childcare question, Walz said you have to make it easier for people to be able to get into the childcare business and then to make sure people are able to pay for childcare, adding "We were able to do it in Minnesota, and I'm still telling you this, we were listed as the best state."
• In response to a question on Trump denying the results of the 2020 election, Walz criticized Trump's rhetoric and what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and then noted protests didn't just happen there — "In Minnesota, a group gathered on the state Capitol grounds in St. Paul and said ‘we’re marching to the Governor's residence and there may be casualties.' The only person there was my son and his dog, who was rushed out crying by State Police."

What happened during the VP debate

Vice presidential candidates Gov. Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance took to the debate stage Tuesday night for what could be the final debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. 

The candidates engaged in a policy-heavy debate, attacking the opponents’ running mates while steering clear of personal criticism. Walz experienced several verbal stumbles during the debate, including when discussing his time in Tiananmen Square. He openly admitted that he "misspeaks often." However, he put Vance on the defensive over issues like abortion and his non-answer when asked whether Donald Trump won the 2020 election. 

RELATED: Who won? Here are last night's key VP debate moments

Each candidate delivered a pretty even performance, with post-debate polls suggesting that the debate is unlikely to impact voters' choices in the presidential election significantly.