Following several days of speculation, Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Tuesday that she has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. This decision highlights her choice of a personable and seasoned politician, with the hope that he will help maintain the newly established unity within the Democratic Party as the campaign progresses toward Election Day.
In a social media post, Harris praised Walz for his commitment to “delivering for working families.” The pair is scheduled to appear together at an evening rally in Philadelphia. By selecting the 60-year-old Walz, Harris is opting for a Midwestern governor, a military veteran, and a staunch union advocate who has successfully implemented a bold Democratic agenda in his state, which includes extensive protections for abortion rights and substantial support for families.
He is aligning himself with Harris at a time marked by significant upheaval in contemporary American politics, indicating that the campaign is likely to be unpredictable. Following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in July, Republicans have consolidated their support around him. Shortly thereafter, President Joe Biden announced the termination of his reelection bid, compelling Harris to bring together the Democratic Party and evaluate possible running mates during an intense two-week period.
Harris aims to strengthen her campaign’s position in the upper Midwest, a vital area in presidential elections that frequently acts as a safeguard for Democrats aspiring to the presidency. The party continues to be affected by Trump’s victories in Michigan and Wisconsin during the 2016 election. Although Trump did not win those states in 2020, he is now concentrating on them as he seeks to reclaim the presidency this year, with an expanded focus on Minnesota as well. Harris, along with second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Governor Walz, is scheduled to participate in a joint evening rally in Philadelphia, reminiscent of a collaborative appearance by Biden and Harris in Wilmington, Delaware, during the 2020 campaign.
Following their trip to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, the team will embark on a five-day journey, traversing thousands of miles across the nation to visit key battleground states. Their itinerary includes stops in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit on Wednesday, with additional visits to Phoenix and Las Vegas later in the week. Due to the impacts of Tropical Storm Debby, previously scheduled visits to Savannah, Georgia, and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, have been postponed.
A group of legal experts and political strategists, headed by former Attorney General Eric Holder, meticulously reviewed documents and conducted interviews with potential candidates. Vice President Harris met with her three top choices on Sunday. She deliberated on the decision with senior aides at her residence in Washington on Monday and made the final selection on Tuesday morning, according to sources. Harris, who is the first Black woman and individual of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket, initially evaluated nearly a dozen candidates before narrowing her focus to a select few serious contenders, all of whom were white men. By choosing Walz, she opted for a collaborative partner who has demonstrated his commitment to Democratic principles.
Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary for Trump’s campaign, remarked, “It is hardly surprising that Kamala Harris, a liberal from San Francisco, would prefer Tim Walz, a West Coast aspirant, as her running mate. Throughout his tenure as governor, Walz has endeavored to transform Minnesota to mirror the characteristics of California.” She further stated, “Walz is fixated on disseminating California’s perilously liberal agenda across the nation.” Walz has been a vocal supporter of Harris in her contest against Trump and Senator JD Vance of Ohio, describing the Republicans as “just weird” during an interview last month. This characterization has been embraced and amplified by Democrats since that time. At a fundraising event for Harris in Minneapolis on Monday, Walz commented, “Referring to these individuals as weird was not intended as an insult; it was merely an observation.”