Harris Picks Walz For VP

Source: JIM WATSONCHRIS KLEPONIS / Getty

PHILADELPHIA —  Vice President Kamala Harris has picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

The 60-year-old Democrat served in the House for 12 years before being elected governor of The North Star State in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.

Waltz is thought to help Harris in the key Midwestern battleground states.

Kamala Harris shared on Instagram her reasoning on selecting Tim Walz:

I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @timwalz to be my running mate.

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.

He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, spending summers working on his family’s farm. His father died of cancer when he was 19, and his family relied on Social Security survivor benefit checks to make ends meet. At 17, he enlisted in the National Guard, serving for 24 years. He used his GI Bill benefits to go to college, and become a teacher. He served as both the football coach and the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance.

I share this background both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record. He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families.

He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and as an avid hunter, he passed a bill requiring universal background checks for gun purchases.

But what impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope. Doug and I look forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values.

Whether you are a supporter, a volunteer, a donor, a member of our staff, or your name is on the ticket: you are part of the people-powered campaign that is going to defeat Donald Trump.

We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election.

So let’s get to work.