Harris Joins Minnesota Gov. Walz on Campaign Trail Debut as 2024 Democratic Ticket

The Midwestern governor and military veteran, Tim Walz, has been named as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Tuesday that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will join her as her vice presidential pick in the upcoming election. Harris and Walz made their first public appearance together during a rally in Philadelphia shortly after the announcement.

Harris emphasized the shared values between her and Walz in excerpts released before her speech. “We both believe in lifting people up, not knocking them down,” she will say. “We both know that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.”

Choosing Walz marks her most significant decision yet as the Democratic nominee. Walz, 60, brings experience as a Midwestern governor, military veteran, and union supporter, and has helped implement a progressive Democratic agenda in his state, including protections for abortion rights and aid for families.

“He’s going to be a great vice president,” Harris said while boarding Air Force Two. Walz’s selection comes at a turbulent time in American politics, with Harris and Walz aiming to counter the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Walz’s governance follows a period when Trump galvanized Republicans after surviving an assassination attempt in July. With President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid, Harris moved quickly to consolidate Democratic unity and select her running mate.

Harris aims to bolster her campaign across the upper Midwest, a crucial region Democrats need for a White House victory. Trump’s focus on states like Michigan and Wisconsin, which he won in 2016 but lost in 2020, underscores this region’s importance.

Since Walz’s announcement, the team has raised over $10 million in grassroots donations. An ABC News/Ipsos survey showed that nearly 9 in 10 Americans were unfamiliar with Walz before his selection. Harris had considered nearly a dozen candidates before finalizing her choice.

Harris tweeted her announcement, expressing pride in choosing Walz as her running mate. “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his,” she tweeted.

Trump’s campaign responded by labeling Walz as a “far-left liberal,” accusing him of trying to reshape Minnesota in line with California’s policies. The Trump team emphasized this rhetoric during the Republican National Convention, appealing to voters’ desire for strong national leadership.

Walz’s selection received praise from various Democrats, including progressive leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Sen. Joe Manchin, highlighting his broad appeal within the party.

A vetting team led by former Attorney General Eric Holder reviewed potential candidates. Harris made her decision after deliberations on Monday, finalizing it Tuesday morning.

Other contenders, such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, faced public pushback over specific issues, which may have influenced Harris’s final decision.

Biden endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket as “a powerful voice for working people and America’s great middle class.”

Walz coined a catchy campaign phrase, calling Trump and Vance “just weird,” which became popular within Democratic circles. Walz clarified during a fundraiser that his remark was “an observation,” not a slur.

Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Walz plan to tour key battleground states, with Wisconsin and Michigan first on their list, followed by Arizona and Nevada.

Meanwhile, Vance scheduled visits to some of the same states, and reportedly called Walz to leave a voice message on Tuesday.

Harris’s campaign strategy aims to counter the Trump campaign’s portrayal of Walz. Campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled Harris’s choice as part of a push to spread California’s liberal agenda.

Before politics, Walz was a social studies teacher, football coach, and union member in Minnesota. He first won a Congressional seat in 2006, focusing on veterans’ issues, and served 24 years in the Army National Guard.

Walz’s governorship began in 2018 with the theme “One Minnesota,” and he won reelection in 2022, leading a legislature with Democratic control of both chambers and ambitious policies including significant surplus-funded aids.

Walz currently co-chairs the bipartisan Council of Governors, advising on homeland security and national defense. He was first appointed by Trump and later reappointed by Biden.