American Presidential Election: Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as running mate

After weeks of speculation, American Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen her running mate. Multiple news outlets reported Tuesday morning that the vice president has picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Harris confirmed the news in a post on social media, writing: “I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Tim Walz to be my running mate.
As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team. Now let’s get to work.”

Harris, who formally secured the Democratic Presidential nomination on Monday night, spent the past weekend reportedly interviewing finalists, including Walz, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. By Monday, Harris had reportedly whittled her list of finalists down to two: Walz and Shapiro.

Harris and Walz later appeared together at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, the first of five rallies planned in battleground states this week.

One of the primary reasons that Tim Walz was likely chosen is his potential appeal to white, working class Americans, a key demographic that has helped fuel and maintain Donald Trump’s political fortunes in this country.

A former school teacher, football coach and long-time member of the Army National Guard, Walz did not run for office until he was in his 40s. In his first race, he successfully ran against a Republican in Minnesota’s rural, traditionally conservative 1st Congressional District. He was re-elected five times before he left Capitol Hill.

While Republicans are already attacking him as “too liberal”, some of the policies that he implemented as Minnesota’s governor proved broadly popular among the state’s Democrats and Republicans.

Last year, for example, Walz signed an executive order removing a college-degree requirement for 75% of Minnesota’s state jobs. The initiative was later copied by several other states.

Walz is also a gun owner and hunter, although his support among gun rights groups slipped after he backed supporting tighter restrictions on firearms ownership.