Topline
Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly minted running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is relatively popular in his home state, but virtually unknown to voters nationally, according to surveys, as Walz and Harris are under a tight timeline to familiarize voters with themselves following Harris’ late entrance into the race.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a Biden-Harris campaign and DNC press conference on July 17, 2024 … [+]
Key Facts
A significant share of voters don’t know who Walz is: A July 26-27 ABC/Ipsos poll found 57% said they don’t know who he is, the largest share of any of the nine Democratic VP contenders asked about, while another 29% said they had no opinion of Walz.
Similarly, a NPR/PBS/Marist poll released Tuesday found 71% of voters were unsure who Walz is or never heard of him, compared to 53% who said the same about Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and 52% who said the same about Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., the other two rumored Harris running mate finalists.
Of the three, Walz had the lowest national approval rating (17%) in the NPR/PBS/Marist poll, compared to 25% who viewed Shapiro favorably and 31% who viewed Kelly favorably, though the results were likely skewed by voters’ lack of familiarity with Walz—who also had the lowest unfavorability rating in the poll, at 12%.
Former President Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance had a higher disapproval rating (43%) and a higher approval rating (34%) than Walz, partly because just 23% of Americans were unfamiliar with the Ohio senator, according to the NPR survey.
Walz is relatively popular in Minnesota, where 56% of respondents polled by SurveyUSA in July said they approve of the job he is doing.
Morning Consult found Walz has an approval rating of 54%, though he’s not among the nation’s top 10 most popular governors.
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What To Watch For
Walz and Harris will make their first joint appearance at 5:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Key Background
Harris tapped Walz as her running mate Tuesday in a highly anticipated announcement that comes less than three weeks after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and Harris stepped in to replace him at the top of the ticket. In announcing her selection in an Instagram ad, Harris touted Walz’s background growing up in small-town Nebraska, his 24 years serving in the National Guard and his record as governor, including signing abortion protections into law. Walz accepted the offer Tuesday, calling it the “honor of a lifetime” in a tweet, writing “it reminds me a bit of the first day of school.” While Minnesota routinely votes for Democrats as president, Walz’s Midwestern appeal is expected to help Harris shore up support in the nearby swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin. Walz was among a reported list of about a dozen contenders, including rumored finalists, Shapiro and Kelly. Walz joins the ticket as Harris has pulled ahead of Trump in national polling averages, after the former president led Biden for months.
Tangent
Walz served as a House representative for Minnesota from 2007 through 2019, representing a congressional district that hasn’t voted for a Democratic candidate since he held the seat. He was elected governor in 2018. He won re-election in 2022 with 52% of the vote.
Further Reading
Kamala Harris Picks Tim Walz As Running Mate: Here’s What To Know About Him (Forbes)
Trump Vs. Harris 2024 Polls: Harris Leads By Record Margin In Latest Survey (Forbes)
Kamala Harris Narrows VP Shortlist To These 2 Picks (Forbes)
2022 midterms, 2024 presidential campaign, the January 6 House committee investigation, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster, the 2023 State of the Union Address, former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference and classified documents cases and his Manhattan hush money case. Dorn graduated in 2012 from the University of Dayton with a degree in journalism. Prior to joining Forbes, she covered New York City and state politics for the New York Post and City and State magazine. Follow her for updates and analysis on the 2024 presidential race, key Senate and House races and developments in Congress and at the White House.
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