Executive Summary

2024 is a huge year for elections as the anticipation for who will be Kamala Harris’s nominated vice president (VP) grows more and more by the second. However, the wait is now over. Harris has chosen Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, to be her VP in this presidential election. She introduced him as her chosen running mate at an energetic rally in Philadelphia, kicking off their battleground state tour. The chosen vice president can help appeal to certain voter demographics or address any perceived weaknesses in a candidate’s platform. Harris believes that Walz can tackle these challenges by describing him as “the kind of vice-president America deserves.” This brief will explore Kamala Harris’ decision to make Tim Walz her running mate.

Relevance

In terms of the election, Tim Walz has much to contribute to Kamala’s campaign. Picking Walz reveals Kamala’s vision and priorities for her administration. As governor of Minnesota, Walz has experience with the operations of the state and federal government. This background will be a huge asset to the campaign and in implementing policies that impact a wide range of individuals. Furthermore, selecting Walz is a huge deal for the Democrats as his focus on healthcare, education, and economic development aligns with the Democratic agenda, strengthening the campaign. Tim Walz can highly influence the political environment by changing voter perception and enthusiasm. With his Minnesota background and policies, Walz may attract Midwestern voters, the LGBTQ+ community, and women voters. With Walz’s appeal to different demographics, experience in policy, and set priorities, he will be a game-changer in this campaign.

Qualifications

Tim Walz has a unique background. He was highly ranked in the National Guard and has also worked in high schools, taking on many roles: geography teacher, football coach, and advisor for one school’s first gay-straight alliance almost 30 years ago. In 2004, he got involved in politics as a member of John Kerry’s presidential campaign. In 2006, he became a state representative for Minnesota, a role which he maintained until becoming governor in 2018. Now, he is Kamala Harris’ running mate.    

Prior to Harris announcing her choice, many commentators and politicians had opinions on what running mate characteristics would be necessary for her success. Many suggested that Harris choose a white male candidate to offset fears Americans might have about electing a Black and Indian-American woman to the presidency. It was clear that Harris’ team understood this—when her shortlist dropped, it was unsurprising to note that all were white, only one was a woman, and most were heterosexual. Harris’ team had “concluded that it most likely had to be a middle-aged white man, for many of the reasons Barack Obama chose Biden.” Walz satisfies this first optical requirement, to bring in audiences who may be uncomfortable with Harris’ race and gender.    

In addition to being a white man, he has “a lived experience that is…comparable to…many of the people in rural America who are willing to maybe reconsider just blindly voting for the Republican Party candidate,” per Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. Rural Americans have been known to make up a sizable amount of Trump voters and many have drifted away from the Democratic Party due to feeling unrepresented, so seeing Walz alongside Harris may be key to regaining their support.   

Walz has developed a reputation for being kind and dedicated to unity, but still ideologically firm. When in Congress, he “had a reputation as a hard-worker who found common ground with Republicans” and to this day, per Rep. Gerry Connolly, “is respected, even in conservative circles.” During Harris and Walz’s rally on August 6th, Walz spoke of their opponent, Donald Trump, stating that Trump “doesn’t know the first thing about service. He doesn’t have time for it because he’s too busy serving himself.” This statement positioned Harris and Walz as the moral choice, emphasizing their supposed commitment to unity and to making choices that will genuinely benefit the American people.   

Another section of the American people which Walz especially appeals to is younger voters, many of whom are pro-Palestinian and do not approve of US support for Israel. This was particularly evident during the campus encampments of the past year. These young voters had incredibly low support for Biden, even nicknaming him “Genocide Joe.” They led the movement to vote uncommitted as a protest against the two main parties’ stances on Israel. Harris, despite being Biden’s vice president, has managed to garner these young voters’ support for her campaign, and Walz’s sympathetic view towards the uncommitted movement and his professed support for a ceasefire may further engage this population. Throughout his time as governor and representative, Walz has focused on initiatives which many young voters agree on. These include “providing universal free school meals for students, protecting reproductive freedom, strengthening voting rights, laying the groundwork to get Minnesota to 100% clean electricity by 2040…and expanding paid leave for Minnesota workers,” as well as supporting queer rights.   

Finally, due to the urgency of this election, the unusual beginning to her campaign, and the constant internal dissent that pervaded Joe Biden’s reelection campaign prior to him stepping down, “[Harris] was looking for someone who would be willing to stand behind her and defend her thick or thin…[Walz] was one of the only ones who went to the cameras to publicly defend Biden after his…poor debate performance” which convinced Harris’ team that he could be trusted by her side.    

However, there are still risks to selecting Walz as running mate. Immediately after the announcement, conservative media criticized his delayed response to riots following the Black Lives Matter protests in Minnesota while he was governor, his misstep when choosing the state’s cannabis regulator, some of his more liberal policies, and his potential connections to China. Trump allies have “pointed to a Minnesota law requiring the state’s utilities to transition to carbon-free electricity sources by 2040; a law expanding voting rights for people convicted of felonies; and efforts to expand undocumented immigrants’ eligibility for health insurance and in-state tuition” as overly liberal, contradicting his moderate image. Meanwhile, David Hann, chairman of the Minnesota Republican party, claimed Walz would be a liability due to his “failing to prevent the chaos and damage that followed the murder of George Floyd….” However, some of these allegations are untrue. For instance, Walz has not supported the Defund the Police movement, nor the Chinese Communist Party. In addition to conservative complaints, those on the far-left feel that he is too moderate and does not align with the community’s needs. 

Conclusion

With the presidential election approaching this November, it appears that Kamala Harris has made an excellent strategic decision choosing Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz possesses a unique combination of characteristics that make him a compelling addition to the ticket, including his appeal to broad voter demographics, his ability to compromise with other parties, and the loyalty he has shown his constituents and the Democratic Party during his time as Governor of Minnesota. Not only does Walz’s presence help quell fears from the Republican Party regarding Harris’s identity as a Black and Indian-American woman, but also provides a strong connection to young and rural voters. In such a partisan political atmosphere, Walz’s track record of bipartisan relations with the Republican Party makes him a strong choice for Harris’s vice president.

Acknowledgment

The Institute for Youth in Policy wishes to acknowledge Eli Solomon, Anagha Nagesh, Nolan Ezzet, and other contributors for developing and maintaining the Policy Department within the Institute.

References

1. Alba, Monica and Alcindor, Yamiche and Seitz-Wald, Alex. 2024. “The inside story of how Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz.” IN NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/story-kamala-harris-chose-tim-walz-rcna163290
2. Blackburn, Piper H. and Bradner, Eric and de Vries, Karl. 2024. “A short list of democrats who could be vice presidential pick for Harris.” In CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/22/politics/vp-shortlist-kamala-harris/index.html
3. Bushard, Brian. 2024. “Here’s What to Know About Tim Walz: Kamala Harris’ Running Mate.” In Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2024/08/06/kamala-harris-picks-tim-walz-as-running-mate-heres-what-to-know-about-him/
4. Faguy, Ana. 2024. “‘He Offers so Much’: Democrat Voters on Tim Walz.” Bbc.com. BBC News. August 6, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36nnrlg3nyo.
5. Faris, David. 2024. “Why Not Whitmer?” In Slate. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/07/kamala-harris-vp-pick-whitmer-kelly-shapiro-beshear.html
6. Gambino, Lauren and Hellman, Melissa. 2024. “Kamala Harris introduces running mate at raucous Philadelphia rally.” In The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/06/kamala-harris-running-mate-tim-walz
7. Gambino, Lauren. “Kamala Harris Introduces Running Mate Tim Walz at Raucous Philadelphia Rally.” The Guardian, August 7, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/06/kamala-harris-running-mate-tim-walz
8. “Governor Tim Walz.” 2024. Minnesota.gov. https://mn.gov/governor/about-gov/timwalz/
9. Knowles, Hannah and Olorunnipa, Toluse. 2024. “‘Socialist’ vs. social studies teacher: GOP, Democrats battle to define Walz.” In The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/06/tim-walz-kamala-harris-liberal-record/
10. King, John, Jeff Zeleny, Jamie Gangel, MJ Lee, Daniel Strauss, Gregory Krieg, and Kristen Holmes. 2024. “Harris Decides on Tim Walz as Running Mate.” CNN. CNN. August 6, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/06/politics/tim-walz-harris-vice-president/index.html.
11. Lillis, Mike and Schnell, Mychell. 2024. “House Democrats Home in on Tim Walz as Kamala Harris VP Choice.” In The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4806591-tim-walz-harris-vp-house-democrats/
12. Londono, Ernesto. 2024. “One Word Has Elevated Minnesota’s Governor to the Democrat’s VP Wish.” In The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/us/tim-walz-minnesota-kamala-harris.html
13. Mathur, Anusha. 2024. “55 Things to Know About Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ Pick for VP.” In Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/08/06/tim-walz-55-things-harris-vp-00172790
14. McCartney, Micah. 2024. “Tim Walz’ Comments on China Resurface After Joining Democratic Ticket.” In Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/tim-walz-comments-china-resurface-after-joining-democratic-ticket-1935635
15. McGrady, Clyde and Peters, Jeremy W. 2024. “Some Black Voters Say They Wonder if a Black Woman Can Win.” In The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/21/us/black-voters-kamala-harris.html
16. Yiu, Pak. 2024. “Tim Walz and China: personal ties and sharp criticism of Beijing.” In Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/U.S.-elections-2024/Tim-Walz-and-China-Close-personal-ties-and-sharp-criticism-of-Beijing
17. Zurher, Anthony. 2024. “Vibes and jibes - why Harris picked Walz as running mate.” In BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jlldpzl7go

‍