Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her VP running mate. Walz appeared to be lower on the list behind Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro to Arizona Senator Kelly.
Walz is not as well known but complements Harris’ experience. Harris’ choice of Walz as her running mate could broaden the ticket’s appeal: Harris as a Black, Asian woman from California with experience as a prosecutor, and Walz as a white, folksy Midwesterner with a record of enacting progressive policies. It is hoped that he will help win the critical midwest states.
He was elected to Congress from a moderate district. He served 20 years in the National Guard. He is not a coastal elite or an Ivy League guy.
The 60-year-old governor’s track record of winning over red-leaning voters makes him a compelling choice for the Democratic presidential ticket. Here’s what to know about Harris’ running mate:
Walz has roots in rural America
Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17. He graduated from Chadron State College in 1989.
With his wife, Gwen, he moved in 1996 to Mankato, Minnesota, where he taught in a public school for more than a decade before entering politics. He also has a master’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Walz was a teacher
Walz served a red-leaning district in the U.S. House for 12 years
Walz has an impressively productive — and progressive — track record as governor
Minnesota Democrats, fresh off gaining control of the state Legislature after the 2022 midterm elections, had a historically productive legislative session. With Walz as governor, they secured free school lunches and free college tuition for some families, codified abortion rights, enacted stricter gun violence prevention laws, expanded protections for transgender youth and restored voting rights for formerly incarcerated people.
Walz is behind the ‘Republicans are weird’ refrain