Harris Picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Her Running Mate

After two weeks of speculation over who would join her at the top of the Democratic Party’s presidential ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Aug. 6.

Harris made the announcement the morning after she was officially nominated as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in a virtual roll call.

“I’m all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school,” Walz wrote in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “So, let’s get this done, folks!”

Speaking at their first joint rally in Philadelphia later that day, Harris described Waltz as “a fighter for the middle class” and “a patriot who believes … in the extraordinary promise of America,” as she said she does.

Other candidates who made the vice presidential shortlist include Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

Shapiro, opening the rally for Harris, praised Walz as “an outstanding governor.”

“I’m going to be working my tail off to make sure we make Kamala Harris and Tim Walz the next leaders of the United States,” Shapiro said.

Tricia Jones, 67, of Philadelphia, told The Epoch Times that she was surprised that Harris chose Walz over her state’s governor, but said she was “extremely happy” about the selection.

“I think Tim Walz has the ability to speak to different populations, especially the youth population, and generate the youth vote,“ she said. ”And also I think he has the talent to be able to speak Midwestern, and that’s really essential in the swing states.”

From the National Guard to Congress

Walz, 60, began his career in the Army National Guard, serving for 24 years, before becoming a high school teacher in Mankato, Minnesota. He was first elected to Congress in 2006, defeating incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in Minnesota’s First Congressional District, and was reelected for another five terms.

He was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to serve in Congress and was rated the seventh most bipartisan representative in the 114th Congress by the Lugar Center at Georgetown University.

Walz defeated Republican Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson in 2018 to become the 41st governor of Minnesota.

Swing State, Rural, Progressive Appeal

Political strategist Brian Darling told The Epoch Times that Walz is perceived as someone who can speak to swing state voters, although he hails from Minnesota, which hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 52 years.

A group of nearly 50 progressive leaders from states throughout the country co-signed a letter on July 30 urging Harris to pass on Shapiro and pick either Walz or Beshear.

The group suggested the Democratic Party needed a vice presidential candidate who would “represent and connect with rural communities that have felt left behind in recent elections.”

They celebrated Walz as a “democratic representative in a rural district before becoming governor” and a perfect candidate to “win back rural voters across the country.”

Walz is seen as popular with Midwestern and union voters and is sometimes highlighted for his military background. His appeal to rural voters and military veterans could help him in blue-wall states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.

In office, Walz spearheaded a plan to provide universal free school meals for students, pushed to get Minnesota on 100 percent “clean electricity” by 2040, and expanded paid leave for workers. The governor also signed a hands-free driving bill into law, which prohibits the use of cellphones while driving.

Republican Response

House Speaker Mike Johnson called Harris and Walz the “most radical left-wing ticket in American history” in a post on X.

“I look forward to highlighting the vast differences between their policies and the America First agenda that President Trump and Senator Vance are fighting for every day,” he said.

In a statement posted to a campaign fundraising website, former President Donald Trump said Walz would support “open borders” immigration policies and “rubber stamp” energy and climate strategies similar to the Green New Deal, a bill Harris co-sponsored while in the U.S. Senate.

Marc Ellinger, chairman of the Republican National Lawyers Association, criticized Walz for his handling of the protests and riots that broke out in 2020 after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“The American people do not want what Tim Walz allowed to happen in Minneapolis coming to their communities,” Ellinger said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed Ellinger’s concerns over the 2020 protests after Harris announced her running mate pick.

“We would never allow that to happen in the state of Florida. … That is not a prescription for America to work its way back,” he said in a statement.

Democrats Unite Behind Harris–Walz

President Joe Biden, posting to X, called Harris’s pick a “great decision.”

“The Harris–Walz ticket will be a powerful voice for working people and America’s great middle class,” Biden said, adding that the two will be the “strongest defenders” for personal freedoms and democracy. He called on Americans to “rally behind” the ticket.

Former President Barack Obama also celebrated the selection of Walz, calling the military veteran an “outstanding governor” who believes government works to serve “not just some of us, but all of us” in a statement on X.

“By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner—and made it clear exactly what she stands for,” Obama said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Walz a “great choice” in a post on X, calling on Democrats to “get to work” ahead of the election.

“There’s no doubt the Harris/Walz ticket will lead us to victory in November and build a future Americans can be proud of,” Schumer said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will lead America into a brighter future for everyone” in a post on X.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.