The Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential candidate.
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. Join us:https://t.co/W4AE2WlMTj
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2024
It appears that with Walz's selection, Harris aims to reduce the likelihood of losing support from progressive elements within the Democratic party, who had expressed dissatisfaction with the now-irrelevant potential candidacies of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Walz, 60, a former schoolteacher and football coach, has been elected governor of Minnesota twice. Since 2023, he has served as the head of the Democratic Governors Association, and is expected to help the Democrats in the neighboring critical swing state of Wisconsin. As governor, Walz dealt with the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis in 2020, and is a staunch supporter of abortion rights.
Walz's rural background and pleasant demeanor are expected to appeal to moderate voters. As such, Walz is considered a comfortable and non-divisive candidate within the Democratic Party. He gained recognition within the party when he coined the term "weirdos" in reference to the Trump-Vance duo, a phrase that successfully resonated in the US political discourse.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he will be at the rally in Philadelphia where Tim Walz will be presented as the vice-presidential candidate. He promised to "Unite the people of Pennsylvania behind my friends Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to defeat Donald Trump."
