Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has chosen Tim Walz Govenor of Minnesota as her potential vice president, elevating a former football coach whose rural background, leftist views, and criticism of former President Donald Trump have recently propelled him to prominence.
Minnesota is not a top-tier presidential battleground and is unlikely to be decisive in a Harris-Walz triumph, The New York Times said. However, Walz, 60, rose to the top of Harris’ list in a matter of days, aided by his televised news appearances.
Harris said in a social media post “One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep.”
Walz and Harris will speak at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening, marking their first appearance as the Democratic duo.
According to three people familiar with the vice president’s thinking, Walz outperformed more well-known candidates in part because Harris saw him as an everyman figure from Minnesota whose “Midwestern-dad” aura balanced out her contrasting “Bay Area” upbringing.
Walz’s complex political identity appealed to Harris, who grew up in liberal San Francisco politics and sought an ideological balance in her hunt for a running partner in the hopes of winning swing votes. Every one of Harris’ nominees for the post, including Walz, was a white male with a track record of success in Republican districts.
Walz was regarded to be a good debate opponent for Ohio Senator JD Vance, whom Trump nominated as his running colleague last month. After two weeks of scrutiny and discussion, Harris had the strongest connection with Walz when compared to the other options.
While his background may seem ideal for moderate voters, his stance as governor has been firmly liberal, reflecting what his supporters call “prairie populism.”
He signed off on measures regarding marijuana, paid family leave, abortion rights, and gun control, as Harris mentioned in her announcement of him as the nominee. Republicans refer to him as “a left-winger dressed in homemade clothes,” AP News wrote.
Republicans swiftly indicated that they intended to target Walz in particular for the violence and rioting in Minneapolis that erupted following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Walz is serving his second term as governor after 12 years in Congress, where he was a unique Midwestern Democrat representing a predominantly rural district. Prior to politics, he spent 24 years in the Army’s National Guard and taught high school social studies in Mankato, Minnesota.