Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has been selected as the running mate for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris announced in a Tuesday morning social media post that the Midwestern progressive will join her on the ticket heading into the November election. Harris and Walz will campaign in all seven battleground states in the coming days, beginning with an appearance in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Walz’s first event as Harris’ running mate.
“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his,” Kamala said. “It’s great to have him on the team.”
Walz was among a deep bench of potential running mates, including Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Who is Tim Walz?
Now in his second term as governor, Walz, 60, also served 12 years as a U.S. congressman before his successful 2018 run to lead the state.
Before his political career, the Nebraska native served in the Army National Guard for nearly a quarter century. He also taught at Mankato West High School for 12 years and served as an assistant football coach.
During his time as governor, Walz has experienced several major crises. In his first term, he faced harsh criticism from Republicans amid the duelling dilemmas of the COVID-19 pandemic and the violent uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.
His use of emergency powers, mask mandates and business shutdowns during the pandemic outraged his critics, as did his perceived delay in activating the National Guard to help restore order on Twin Cities streets during the unrest, which drew the ire of then-President Donald Trump.
During his successful 2022 reelection campaign against GOP candidate Dr. Scott Jensen, who was banned from some social media platforms for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, Walz consistently defended the “hard decisions” he made during the pandemic.
He went on to defeat Jensen by nearly 200,000 votes, leading to his second term as governor, which coincided with Democrats taking back the reins of the state senate to control both chambers and the governor’s office.
Since Democrats’ trifecta power in state government, Walz has signed several progressive policy wins into law, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, protection of abortion access in the state, free school meals for all children, clean energy benchmarks, and a “red flag” law that gives state courts the power to legally confiscate guns from residents who pose a risk to themselves and others.
A swift pivot from Biden backer to Harris supporter
In July, Walz was among several Democratic governors who visited the White House amid calls for President Biden to drop his reelection bid following the first presidential debate.
Walz told the press after the meeting that Biden was indeed “fit for office.”
“He has had our backs through COVID, through all of the recovery, all the things that have happened. The governors have his back,” Tim Walz said.
Soon after Biden announced he was leaving the race, Walz quickly fell in line with the majority of Democrats to endorse Harris.
McCollum launches VP chatter
Just days before Biden’s announcement, Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum joined the chorus of Democrats calling on Biden to step down. She then went further to throw Walz’s name in as a possible vice presidential candidate.
“Vice President Harris will need a strong Midwestern running mate and I encourage her and the Democratic delegates to consider a successful leader who has been a teacher, soldier, football coach, former member of Congress, and a proven winner — Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz,” McCollum said.
“I’ve seen it out there, and it’s a little weird.”
WCCO’s Esme Murphy previously asked Walz about his VP prospects, but his response was both calculated and cagey.
“I don’t think you turn down a job that you haven’t been offered, but I have the best job in the world in being the governor of Minnesota,” Walz said.
When pressed again about his possible candidacy during a subsequent event, Walz made it clear that he wasn’t going to speak on the matter and reiterated his full support for Harris. He did, however, quip to reporters about the surreality of hearing his name being tossed about.
“I’ve seen it out there and it’s a little weird!” Walz said with a laugh.
Late Monday, the Democratic National Committee’s virtual roll call vote closed, and the Democratic Party announced that Vice President Kamala Harris received the votes of 99% of the participating delegates.
