Vice President Kamala Harris tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, and the duo made their debut appearance together hours later at a rally in Philadelphia. Harris hailed her running mate as a father, teacher, coach, congressman, and US Army National Guard veteran — highlighting that he’s a “leader who can help unite this nation.”
Like any candidate, Walz brings potential strengths and vulnerabilities to Harris’s campaign. He is relatively unknown nationally, and both Democrats and Republicans are already racing to shape the narrative around him.
The strengths. Though Minnesota is not a swing state and traditionally votes Democratic, Walz could help Democrats in the Midwest — a region with key battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin — more generally.
He’s an experienced politician, having served in the House for over a decade before becoming Minnesota’s governor in 2019. He’s a progressive with a strong record on issues like abortion and support of the LGBTQ community, which could help the campaign with left-leaning voters and women. He’s signed legislation to legalize marijuana, provide free school lunches, and tackle climate change by mandating Minnesota's transition to 100% clean energy by 2040.
Walz is also viewed as someone with the capacity to win over moderate and working-class voters. The Minnesota governor, who has rural roots and is a gun owner, is a former teacher and US Army National Guard veteran.
Beyond his resume, Walz has already shown an ability to effectively attack Republicans simply by suggesting they’re “weird.” Democrats have seized on this line of attack ever since Walz introduced it and went viral in the process.
In Philadelphia, Harris applauded Walz’s work to enshrine reproductive freedoms for women in Minnesota, and noted that he’s also a gun-owning hunter who has fought for gun reform.
The vulnerabilities. Republicans are already targeting Walz’s progressive record, portraying him as “dangerously liberal.” Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, said Tuesday that Harris tapping Walz proves how “radical” she is.
Republicans also seem likely to attack Walz over his handling of unrest in Minnesota following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, as well as restrictions implemented in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. But whether such attacks will be effective remains to be seen.
“Republicans will zero in on Walz’s record as governor, which tracked to the left of his moderate approach as a member of the House. Abortion access, the response to widespread protests in 2020, and educational policy will probably be the key points in this attack,” says Clayton Allen, Eurasia Group’s US director.
“Walz’s personal demeanor and ‘salt of the earth’ image are probably his best defense,” he adds.