What to Know About Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s VP Pick
Kamala Harris has picked Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate, the campaign announced. The 60-year-old beat out several popular contenders for the VP spot, including Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, and Kentucky governor Andy Beshear. Harris and Walz will make their first appearance together at a Philadelphia rally on Tuesday.
“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle-class families run deep. It’s personal,” Harris said in an Instagram post. She went on to describe Walz’s background and accomplishments before concluding, “We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election.”
Though Walz does not come from a battleground state, allies believe he can help strengthen the “blue wall” and provide a boost to the Democratic ticket in other swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — all of which are critical for Harris to secure the White House. He has also been an effective surrogate for the Harris campaign over the past several weeks. Walz was the force behind Democrats’ new line of attack branding Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, as “weird,” and he’s already passing voters’ vibe check with flying colors.
Walz introduced himself to voters in an ad released Tuesday afternoon that outlined his journey from small-town Nebraska to government offices. “We believe in the promise of America, in those values I learned in Nebraska, and we’re ready to fight for them,” he said. “Because as Kamala Harris says: When we fight, we win.”
Growing up, I learned to be generous toward my neighbors, compromise without compromising my values, and to work for the common good.@KamalaHarris and I both believe in that common good – in that fundamental promise of America. We’re ready to fight for it. And like she says:… pic.twitter.com/5SfrDRqx7C
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 6, 2024
Walz is a longtime public servant. He was born in Nebraska, growing up in a small rural community where his high-school graduating class was made up of 24 students — 12 of which were Walz’s cousins. After serving in the National Guard, he spent two decades working as a public high-school teacher and football coach. Later, he was elected to Congress and represented a largely red-leaning, rural district for 12 years.
He was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018. Since securing a Democratic trifecta in 2022, Walz has implemented a slew of progressive policies in the state, including protecting and expanding abortion rights; making breakfast and lunch free for all students, regardless of income status; restoring voting rights for felons; and requiring that utilities in the state move toward a 100 percent clean-energy model by 2040.
A Harris-Walz win would mean that the governor must resign from his role before the inauguration takes place on January 20, 2025. Per Minnesota’s state Constitution, Democratic lieutenant governor Peggy Flanagan would succeed him as governor, and the president of the state Senate, Democratic senator Bobby Joe Champion, would become lieutenant governor. They’d serve in the roles for the remainder of Walz’s four-year term, which is set to end in January 2027.
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