US Election: Kamala picks Tim Walz as running mate

Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the upcoming presidential election on November 5, 2024.

Harris made this announcement on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

Walz, a 60-year-old U.S. Army National Guard veteran and former teacher, was elected to a Republican-leaning district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and served for 12 years before being elected governor of Minnesota in 2018.

As governor, Walz has pursued a progressive agenda that includes free school meals, climate change initiatives, tax cuts for the middle class, and expanded paid leave for Minnesota workers.

Walz has been a long-time advocate for women’s reproductive rights, yet he also showed a conservative leaning while representing a rural district in the U.S. House by defending agricultural interests and supporting gun rights.

Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, is adding a popular Midwestern politician whose home state votes reliably for Democrats in presidential elections but is close to Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battleground states.

These states are seen as pivotal in this year’s election, and Walz is widely regarded as skilled at connecting with white, rural voters who have recently tended to support Republican Donald Trump, Harris’ rival for the White House.

The Harris campaign hopes Walz’s extensive National Guard career, his successful tenure as a high school football coach, and his engaging Dad joke videos will attract voters who are not yet committed to a second Trump term, according to Reuters.

Harris, 59, has revitalized the Democratic Party’s hopes for an election victory since becoming its candidate after President Joe Biden, 81, ended his reelection bid under party pressure on July 21.

Walz was relatively unknown nationally until the Harris “veepstakes” gained momentum, but his profile has since risen. A popular member of Congress, he reportedly had the backing of influential former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who played a key role in persuading Biden to exit the race.

Harris and Walz will face Trump and his running mate JD Vance, also a military veteran from the Midwest, in the November 5 election.

Campaigning for Harris, often seen wearing a camouflage baseball hat and T-shirt, Walz has labeled Trump and Vance as “weird,” a catchy insult that has been embraced by the Harris campaign, social media, and Democratic activists.