Fmr. Viking Matt Birk Running As Lt. Gov. With GOP Candidate Scott Jensen
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A former pro football player and Super Bowl champion is stepping into the political arena.
Matt Birk announced Tuesday that he is the lieutenant governor running mate of Republican candidate Scott Jensen.
Since leaving the NFL, Birk has returned home to Minnesota as an entrepreneur. He's an advocate for increased public safety and education spending, and is against current COVID-19 responses.
Jensen is one of seven Republicans vying for the GOP endorsement to run against DFL Gov. Tim Walz. The DFL responded to Tuesday's announcement with a statement, saying in part, "The Jensen-Birk ticket's far-right extremism is out of touch with Minnesota's values."
Birk is a St. Paul native who was a three-sport student-athlete at Cretin-Durham Hall before studying at Harvard University, where he played for the Crimson. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, and stayed with the team for a decade. He then spent four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, closing out his NFL career with a win at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.
MORE: Number Of Names Hoping To Unseat Walz As Minnesota Governor In Double Digits
