Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the Democratic Party’s official presidential nominee, has reportedly selected Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate ahead of the November election.
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that three sources confirmed Harris had selected Walz as her vice presidential nominee ahead of Tuesday’s Philadelphia rally, where she is expected to formally announce her choice.
According to The Associated Press, the top three potential candidates Harris had been considering in recent days for her running mate were Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
Fox News reported that the selection of 60-year-old Walz comes as the former congressman is in his second term as governor of Minnesota. The outlet also noted that while former President Donald Trump’s campaign has targeted Minnesota in the 2024 election cycle, the state has reliably voted for Democrat presidential candidates for decades.
According to The Associated Press, Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years and rose to the rank of command sergeant major before being demoted to master sergeant. Before being elected as a U.S. representative in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District and later as Minnesota’s governor, Walz worked as a high school social studies teacher and a football coach.
By selecting Walz as her running mate, Harris could help solidify her support in Minnesota while also increasing her support in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin. According to Fox News, Walz, who serves as the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, could also help Harris with campaign fundraising.
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Fox News reported that the Democratic governor’s progressive policy achievements in Minnesota include gun control legislation, legalizing recreational marijuana, and maintaining the state’s abortion laws, which allow residents to have abortions at any stage in a pregnancy.
Following reports of Harris’ decision to select Walz as her running mate, Trump Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement, saying, “It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State.”
Leavitt claimed that while Walz pretends to be supportive of Americans in the Midwest, he privately has described rural America as consisting of “mostly rocks and cows.” The Trump campaign press secretary warned that Walz is “obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide” by advocating for policies that allow convicted felons to vote, a carbon-free agenda, and additional regulations for gas-powered cars.
Leavitt added, “If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare.”
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
