Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Volz spent the first half of his life in rural Nebraska…about a five-hour drive from the nearest major airport. Part of the landscape in that part of the country is often - silos. Some of the locals, like Becky Potemsil, see a part of themselves in the vice presidential candidate.
"When I see him on television, he doesn't remind me of a politician. He reminds me of my favorite teacher at school because he is really dedicated to his community and his students. And he has a good moral compass, good moral principles," notes Beki.
Volz was born in West Point, Nebraska, and spent his childhood in the town of Valentine, with a population of 2.600, which is not exactly known for politicians.
"We followed Tim's career, from a distance. But this step, when he became vice president, we did not expect!" Tom Eliot, a resident of Valentajna, tells the Voice of America.
DON'T MISS IT
When Volc was a teenager, his father was diagnosed with lung cancer, which is why the family moved 160 kilometers north, to be closer to other relatives.
“I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people. There were 24 kids in my entire generation in high school”.
Volz's family members still live in Butte. His uncle, retired farmer Jerome Ryman, says he plans to vote for his cousin, but adds that he is a little worried that the young man from a small town, as he remembers, is too good and gentle to face the big challenges of the world.
"He was an ordinary, average, good young man, he loved sports. The team will not be tough and rough enough for Putin, that worries me".
Growing up in the rural Midwest, Volz became an avid fisherman and hunter, who makes no secret of his love for guns. The so-called "rural democrats" now like to wear his camouflage cap.
"Camouflage and hunting represent Nebraska in a way. And we want to reclaim those symbols in this election," says Democrat Barbara Krichet.
Volz followed in his father's footsteps, a Korean War veteran, and joined the National Guard at age 17. He served for 24 years. But for some rural voters, Volz's military service and history of gun ownership don't mean they share the same values.
Stephen Hale, a resident of Valentine, is skeptical of Volz and the Democrats.
"He lies like they do. It's a Second Amendment right - I'm not going to take away his guns like they're trying to do to us!”
Volz also supports abortion rights, which is contrary to the views of many in conservative Nebraska, where some churches have monuments to unborn children and anti-abortion billboards are everywhere.
"The most important thing for me has always been the right to life. Whoever stands for life, I vote for him. He won't get my vote," said West Point resident Michael Wortman.
Volz graduated from Chedron State College, in a town where former President Donald Trump is apparently popular. The college administration recently had to remove his campaign flag after someone raised it next to the American flag on campus.
Čedron resident Myles Banjan says Tim Volc's local roots don't mean he will automatically get support.
"Many families do not talk about politics because there are many disagreements and arguments. I think a lot of people like him, but that won't change the way they vote."
Some say Volz brought rural Nebraska "15 minutes of fame." However, in this conservative American state, common roots are not a guarantee of getting votes.
Bonus video:
