Kamala Harris announces VP candidate: Tim Walz

Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential candidate in the U.S. presidential election. Walz, a U.S. Army National Guard veteran and former teacher, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from a Republican-leaning district in 2006 and became Minnesota's governor in 2018.

WALZ'S RECORD AS GOVERNOR

As governor, Walz has pursued a progressive agenda, including free school meals, climate change initiatives, tax cuts for the middle class, and expanded paid leave for Minnesota workers. He has defended women's abortion rights and supported gun control.

Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, pairs with a popular Midwestern politician from a reliably Democratic state. Walz's National Guard career and background as a successful high school football coach are seen as assets to attract rural, white voters against Trump.

Walz also condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7 and called for flags to be flown at half-mast in the following days. He expressed support for a ceasefire in Gaza. Regarding protests against U.S. funding of the Gaza conflict, Walz stated:

"This is a humanitarian crisis. Protesters have every right to make their voices heard. These people want change, more pressure for peace... You can hold opposing views: Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but the suffering of Palestinian civilians must end."

ELECTION STRATEGY

Harris's campaign relies on Walz's ability to connect with rural voters. Walz has established a strong rapport with young voters by describing Trump and Vance as "weird." Ryan Dawkins, a political science professor at Carleton College in Minnesota, calls Walz "a unicorn."

As governor, Walz mandated face masks, signed a law criminalizing marital rape, and managed Minnesota's budget surpluses during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also appointed the state attorney general to handle the case following George Floyd's death.