Harris picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she had chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, looking to strengthen the Democratic ticket in Midwestern states.

Harris, who officially claimed the Democratic nomination Monday night after no other candidate qualified by a deadline last week, introduced Walz at a rally Tuesday evening in Philadelphia, kicking off a five-day cross-country tour of battleground states that will end in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Democrats on the short list to be her vice presidential pick included several governors, a senator and a Biden administration cabinet secretary: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. By Monday afternoon, the campaign narrowed the choices down to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Walz, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, Walz said on X that it was an honor to join Harris on the campaign. “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,” he posted on X.

What to know about Walz

The announcement came Tuesday morning. Harris posted on X that she had asked Walz to be her running mate.

“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team. Now let’s get to work,” she said.

Walz was first elected governor in 2018 and previously served six terms in the House of Representatives. He also served in the Army National Guard and became a teacher, teaching social studies and coaching football.

He rose up as a dark horse candidate for the VP nominee after he called Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, “weird,” kickstarting a trend in how the Democratic Party framed the Trump-Vance ticket. Republicans have retorted that the Democrats are the ones who are “weird.”

As governor, Walz is fairly popular in Minnesota, with 54 percent of registered voters in Minnesota approving of his job, according to a Morning Consult survey of approval ratings of governors in all 50 states. Forty percent said they disapproved of his job as governor.

Walz’ accomplishments, according to his governor’s website, include providing free school meals for students, protecting rights to abortion and expanding paid leave for Minnesota workers.

While he was considered a more moderate Democrat — having received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association in 2010 — Republicans view him as more liberal recently, having implemented many liberal policies in Minnesota. He and Democratic lawmakers implemented free tuition at public colleges for students whose families earn under $80,000 and implemented a paid family and medical leave program and health insurance coverage regardless of a person’s immigration status.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz used the governor’s emergency power to shutter businesses and close schools. Republicans also were critical over what they saw as a slow response to sometimes violent unrest in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. In his second term, he and lawmakers eliminated nearly all of the state abortion restrictions enacted in the past by Republicans, protected gender-affirming care for transgender youth and legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley called the Harris-Walz ticket “dangerously liberal” in a statement Tuesday, accusing both Harris and Walz of being soft on crime and “defund the police liberals who make up the most radical, far-left ticket in the history of our country.”

Brian Hughes, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that by picking Walz as her running mate, Harris bent a knee to the radical left and “doubled down on her dangerously liberal, weak, and failed agenda.” Hughes said Walz would be a “rubber stamp for Kamala” to implement policies that Hughes said would embolden adversaries as the “world is brought to the brink of World War III.”

Nevada reactions

Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno said in a statement Tuesday that she looks forward to welcoming Harris and Walz to the state this weekend.

“Vice President Harris knows what it takes to be a good partner in government, and her selection of Governor Tim Walz with his background in education, military service, and leadership as Governor, former member of Congress, and small town mayor is a strong statement to continue building unity across the United States,” she said in the statement.

The Nevada Republican Party said in a statement that Walz represents a “continuation of the policies that have led to government overreach, a higher cost of living, open borders, and a disregard for the values that make America exceptional.”

“Nevadans have experienced firsthand the negative effects of these policies, and a Harris/Walz ticket will further exacerbate the problems we face due to failed Democrat leadership,” the party said in a statement that misspelled the governor’s name.

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, who faces a tough battle for re-election against Republican Sam Brown, said she thinks Walz will appeal to Nevadans because he is a pragmatic problem solver.

“He knows how to build community,” Rosen said during an event Tuesday. “He went to Congress, passed so many great things, fought for building out both urban and rural communities, and of course then became governor of Minnesota. He has humble roots. He knows what he’s accomplished. And he knows what’s important.”

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus said Walz is a champion for working families and “definitely isn’t weird.”

“I was proud to call Tim Walz my friend and colleague in Congress on the Veteran’s Affairs Committee and I look forward to calling him Vice President,” Titus said in a statement.

Saturday’s visit to Las Vegas will mark Harris’ first stop in the battleground state of Nevada since entering the presidential race, though the vice president has traveled six times this year to the Silver State, whose six electoral votes could determine the outcome of the presidential election.

To attend the Las Vegas rally, visit mobilize.us/2024nvvictory/.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X. The Associated Press contributed to this report.