Topline
Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly narrowed her shortlist of potential running mates on Monday to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as Harris tries to gain ground on former President Donald Trump with just over three months until the November election.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is reportedly a frontrunner to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running … [+]
Key Facts
Walz, the 60-year-old father of two and Nebraska-born governor of Minnesota had emerged as a vice presidential frontrunner, along with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, though sources close to Harris told Reuters on Monday her shortlist has narrowed to Walz and Shapiro, and Harris is expected to pick a running mate on Tuesday.
While not at the forefront of national politics, Walz established himself as a moderate Democrat in Congress—where he served as a representative for Minnesota from 2007 to 2019—and as the governor of Minnesota, a role he’s held since 2019, where he also serves as chair of the national Democratic Governors Association.
Walz is seen as an appealing option for independents and moderate Democrats as a working-class politician with a rural background, who exudes the appearance of “someone with a lived experience that is so comparable to so many of the people in rural America,” former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., told The New York Times last week.
Before running for office, Walz, a graduate of Chadron State College in Nebraska, served in the Army National Guard, and then worked as a teacher, first on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where he met his wife Gwen, a fellow teacher, and then in China and later as a high school teacher in Mankato, Minnesota, south of Minneapolis.
Walz initially entered politics as a member of former Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, a spot he took after he said some of his high school students were questioned for having a Kerry sticker when he took them to a campaign rally for then-president George W. Bush, MinnPost reported.
As governor, some of Walz’ political accomplishments include ensuring tuition-free meals at participating state universities, enshrining abortion rights into state law, banning conversion therapy and providing protections for gender-affirming healthcare—Walz recently defended those measures against right-wing criticism in a CNN interview earlier this month, joking: “What a monster! Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn and women are making their own healthcare decisions.”
Walz also signed a bill last May expanding voting rights in Minnesota for an estimated 55,000 formerly incarcerated residents, and in 2020, oversaw the state’s response to both the COVID-19 pandemic and police brutality protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police, though he faced criticism from state Republicans over his delayed response to protests following Floyd’s killing.
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Chief Critics
Walz has faced backlash from Minnesota Republicans largely over his actions to protect gender-affirming care—a topic that has become central on GOP tickets. John Helmberger, the CEO of Christian conservative group Minnesota Family Council, argued Walz’s executive order to protect gender-affirming care “victimizes vulnerable young people.” In the weeks leading up to the nomination announcement, Walz also sparked Republican outrage after he referred to “weird people on the other side,” and criticized Trump’s laugh and apparent obsession of Hannibal Lecter as “weird.” In response, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called the “weird” argument “dumb & juvenile,” while Donald Trump. Jr. responded to claims that Trump running mate JD Vance is “weird” with a video posted of Harris with a drag queen.
Who Has Supported Walz As Harris’ Running Mate?
Former Obama strategist David Axelrod argued Walz is “running the most aggressive campaign” for vice president, in a post on X. Sources close to Harris have also lauded Walz in the run-up to the decision: 0ne person close to Harris’ campaign told Politico Walz is “doing an exceptional job,” saying he has “the Midwest grit” and an appeal that “goes beyond the Midwest,” and adding he’s more aggressive than vice presidential hopeful Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. Other supporters include Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., a group of 50 progressive lawmakers and the Gen Z focused left-wing Won’t PAC Down political action group, whose director Travis Helwig told Politico Walz “helps quell some of the fears of the ‘San Francisco liberal’ that Republicans have.”
Will Walz’ Minnesota Connection Help Harris In November?
Presidential candidates have a long history of strategically choosing running mates in swing states or candidates who appeal to certain voters in hopes of gaining ground in the presidential election. This November, Minnesota will be a critical swing state for Harris, one of seven key states Biden won in 2020 that polls have shown to be close matches in 2024, along with Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. A Fox News poll conducted late last month found Harris leading Trump in Minnesota by six points (52%-46%) in a head-to-head match—Harris leads Trump 47%-41% in the poll when including third-party candidates such as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (7%). That lead marks a turnaround for the Democratic ticket in Minnesota: An Emerson College poll released one week before Biden’s disastrous debate performance found the incumbent tied 45%-45% with Trump (10% undecided). Harris trails behind Trump in the four other swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Wisconsin), according to recent polls, and the two are tied in Michigan and Pennsylvania, according to Fox News’ poll.
Tangent
Since launching her campaign, Harris has landed major endorsements from Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. One of her biggest endorsements came last week from former President Barack Obama. Sources close to Obama had said the former president wanted to wait until after Biden’s Oval Office address last week to make the announcement, and wanted his public endorsement to stand on its own, NBC News reported. Another source told The New York Times Obama wanted to wait until Harris was officially named the party nominee, a process that could unfold as early as Aug. 1, following a rules change approved by the Democratic National Convention’s rules panel last week (party nominees are typically chosen by delegates at the Democratic National Convention after the conclusion of the primary cycle).
Key Background
Even before his disastrous performance in a June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, Biden—the oldest president in U.S. history—had faced questions over his age, perhaps most prominently after the release of a Department of Justice special counsel report in February that found multiple cases of Biden’s memory failing. Those concerns ramped up substantially after CNN’s presidential debate, a 90-minute affair that resparked mounting concerns over Biden’s advanced age and potential cognitive decline. Facing calls from donors, lawmakers and pundits to step down, Biden ultimately announced on Sunday he would end his reelection bid, and quickly endorsed Harris for president. Harris became the presumptive nominee the next day after swiftly amassing the support of enough delegates to clinch the nomination.
Further Reading
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