Kamala Harris decides on Tim Walz as running mate
According to four sources close to the process, Vice President Kamala Harris has selected her running mate: Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota.
The choice culminates the Midwest Democrat's brief but quick rise from relative unknown to a key figure in the party's criticism of Trump and the MAGA agenda.
According to a person familiar with the procedure, Harris had not formally called Walz to offer him the position.
Walz, a former teacher, is the governor of Minnesota for the second time and serves as the chair of the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress, covering a rural district with a conservative bent that was predominately Republican both before and during his term.
Prior to being chosen as Harris' running mate, Walz had originally come out strongly in support of Joe Biden after the former's dismal debate performance, during which time calls for the president to withdraw his reelection bid grew. next Biden's withdrawal, Walz backed Harris the next day and has since shown herself to be a dependable, vivacious, and astute supporter of the presumed Democratic nominee.
Selecting Walz also highlights the Harris campaign's emphasis on a winning strategy that prioritizes the Midwest's "blue wall" states. Though Minnesota sits a little outside of that bubble, Walz—a former high school football coach—has developed into a progressive populist folk hero during his tenure in government, which is precisely the pugilistic voice that Democrats opposing Trump are eager to emphasize.
Though he has delivered a few remarkable haymakers against Republicans over the past week, his most noteworthy contribution has been his drive to brand the GOP, particularly its presidential ticket consisting of Ohio Senator JD Vance and Trump. Walz introduced the two as "weird dudes" before revealing their political goals.
The slogan has stuck and turned become a key meme in the campaign's new, post-Biden iteration, which is exciting Democrats but also annoying many on the right.
In front of potential small-dollar donors, Walz recently made a flimsy argument for the vice president during remarks at a "White Dudes for Harris" fundraiser.
How often does one get to alter the course of history in a hundred days? How often do you get to do something that will influence future generations in a hundred days? Walz enquired. "And how often in the world does that bastard get to wake up later and find out that a Black woman sent him on his way and kicked his ass?"
The line was favorably received during the call and made headlines nearly right away. I apologize to Joe Biden for his "Dark Brandon" meme, but for a lot of Democrats, at least, this was the kind of internet virality they had been waiting years for.
Along with his zeitgeist-appropriate personal tale, Walz also has a family history of infertility issues, which he shared last month with his wife of thirty years, Gwen. This gives him a certain amount of credibility when he addresses detractors or skeptics of in vitro fertilization, or IVF.
The name of my eldest child is Hope. That's because my wife and I tried for seven years to conceive and need IVF and other fertility treatments—things that (MAGA Republicans) would outlaw, Walz said to the supporters of Harris. "These people are the enemies of freedom."
Walz also, not for the last time, recalled that he "grew up in a small town: 400 people, 24 kids in the class, 12 cousins," to put a bright, cheeky line beneath his own childhood experience.
Walz taught high school, coached football, and was in the Army National Guard before entering Congress. His voting record in Congress over the course of more than ten years was largely centrist. He was a first-time campaigner who backed abortion rights and opposed a prohibition on same-sex marriage. And after he was in Congress, he countered that by taking somewhat more conservative stances on gun rights, which helped him win the support of the National Rifle Association. Since then, the gun lobby has lost faith in Walz because of his backing of gun safety measures during his governorship.
Democratic strategist Jeff Blodgett, a former staffer to the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, said of the late lawmaker, "I think he was a solid Democratic member of the House with a few twists - focus on ag, farmers, rural areas." "I believe that as a rural congressman, he wanted to protect rifles and things of that kind."
In 2018, Walz campaigned for governor and won by a double digit margin. In 2022, he secured reelection with 52% of the vote. Walz had challenges as governor, including narrow majorities in the state Legislature and divided government. However, Walz's party secured a tenuous "trifecta" of legislative dominance in 2022 when the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, as the state's Democratic Party is known, took control of the state House and Senate.
This made it possible for Walz to enact a wide range of comprehensive social welfare policies, including expanded Medicaid eligibility, free lunches for public school pupils, stronger labor union rights, and paid family leave and medical benefits.
Democrats in Minnesota were also able to enact new gun safety regulations, strengthen protections for transgender rights, legalize marijuana, and codify abortion rights into law thanks to the trifecta. The effort was praised by progressives as a prime example of what Democrats could do. In a tweet, former president Barack Obama praised the last congressional session and said it served as a "reminder that elections have consequences."
In a confrontational 2023 State of the State address, Walz praised the efforts of the trifecta.
"At this moment, nowhere is quite like Minnesota," he declared to the legislators in attendance. "By working together, we're not simply demonstrating to the people of Minnesota our ability to keep our word. We are demonstrating to the whole American people the immense potential found in the progressive vision that so many of them hold dear.
"As governor, he's embraced the idea that infrastructure and human capital investment are critical to economic growth," Blodgett said. "And to carry it out in a manner that genuinely benefits those in the center and those below." It seems to me that there is a lot of attention being paid to economic problems, which are concerns that individuals have at home.
Walz was once seen as the darkest of dark horses when rumors circulated regarding Harris's choice for a running mate. He did receive encouragement from labor unions and backing from a few members of Congress, including Congressional Progressive Caucus members Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota and Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington. Ultimately, Walz was a desirable pick for Harris due to his rural Minnesota roots and his experience as a governor dealing with both Democrats and Republicans.
For Republicans, Walz was a surprise as well.
Prior to the decision, Republican strategist Kevin Poindexter from Minnesota stated, "Tim Walz doesn't even register on the fear-o-meter." He added that Republicans were more concerned that Harris would choose Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. "His addition to the ticket as vice president brings nothing.”
Due to Walz's decision, the campaigns of Harris and Trump now have vice presidential nominees who, according to their supporters, should help mobilize support throughout the Midwest. While Republicans believe Ohio Sen. JD Vance's narrative of growing up in Ohio, as detailed in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," would find appeal in blue states like Michigan or even Minnesota, Democrats think Walz's Minnesota roots will draw a broad spectrum of voters throughout the area.
More than anything else, former Democratic Governors Association political director and strategist Raghu Devaguptapu described Walz as a "real steady hand" as a governor.
Although he lacks personality, he is a steady hand. He's incredibly charming and considerate. He's done an excellent job of assembling a sizable coalition of supporters. According to Devaguptapu, that is Tim Walz's core strength.
