Tim Walz: Kamala Harris taps Minnesota governor as VP pick, sources say

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to beryllium her moving mate connected Tuesday, according to 3 group acquainted pinch nan decision.

In choosing Walz, she is turning to a Midwestern governor, subject seasoned and national protagonist who helped enact an eager Democratic schedule for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion authorities and generous assistance to families.

Harris hopes to statement up her campaign’s opinionated crossed nan precocious Midwest, a captious region successful statesmanlike authorities that often serves arsenic a buffer for Democrats seeking nan White House. The statement remains haunted by Republican Donald Trump’s wins successful Michigan and Wisconsin successful 2016. Trump mislaid those states successful 2020 but has zeroed successful connected them arsenic he intends to return to nan presidency this twelvemonth and is expanding his attraction to Minnesota.

Walz, 60, is joining Harris during 1 of nan astir turbulent periods successful modern American politics, promising an unpredictable run ahead. Republicans person rallied astir Trump aft his attempted assassination successful July. Just weeks later, President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign, forcing Harris to unify Democrats and see imaginable moving mates during an exceedingly compressed clip frame.

The 3 group acquainted pinch nan determination said to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity because it had not been made public.

Harris, nan first Black female and personification of South Asian descent to lead a awesome statement ticket, initially considered astir a twelve candidates earlier zeroing successful connected a fistful of superior contenders, each of whom were achromatic men. In landing connected Walz, she sided pinch a low-key partner who has proven himself arsenic a champion for Democratic causes.

Walz has been a beardown nationalist advocator for Harris successful her run against Trump and Vance, labeling nan Republicans “just weird” successful an question and reply past month. Democrats person seized connected nan connection and amplified it since then.

During a fundraiser for Harris connected Monday successful Minneapolis, Walz said: “It wasn’t a slur to telephone these guys weird. It was an observation.”

Walz, who grew up successful nan mini municipality of West Point, Nebraska, was a societal studies teacher, shot coach and national personnel astatine Mankato West High School successful Minnesota earlier he sewage into politics.

He won nan first of six position successful Congress successful 2006 from a mostly agrarian confederate Minnesota district, and utilized nan agency to champion veterans issues. Walz served 24 years successful nan Army National Guard, rising to bid sergeant major, 1 of nan highest enlisted ranks successful nan military.

He ran for politician successful 2018 connected nan taxable of “One Minnesota” and won by much than 11 points.

As governor, Walz had to find ways to activity successful his first word pinch a legislature that was divided betwixt a Democratic-controlled House and a Republican-led Senate. Minnesota has a history of divided government, though, and nan statement was amazingly productive successful his first year. But nan COVID-19 pandemic deed Minnesota early successful his 2nd year, and bipartisan practice soon frayed.

Walz relied connected emergency powers to lead nan state’s response. Republicans chafed nether restrictions that included lockdowns, closing schools and shuttering businesses. They retaliated by firing aliases forcing retired immoderate of his agency heads. But Minnesotans who were stuck astatine location besides sewage to cognize Walz amended done his predominant day briefings successful nan early days of nan crisis, which were broadcast and streamed statewide.

Walz won reelection successful 2022 by astir 8 points complete his GOP challenger, Dr. Scott Jensen, a expert and vaccine skeptic. Not only did Walz win, Democrats kept power of nan House and flipped nan Senate to triumph nan “trifecta” of afloat power of some chambers and nan governor’s agency for nan first clip successful 8 years. A large logic was nan Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which held that nan Constitution doesn’t see a correct to abortion. That wounded Minnesota Republicans, particularly among suburban women.

“Tim has been successful nan news because nan state and nan world is seeing nan feline we emotion truthful much,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar said Monday.

Ken Martin, Chairman of nan Minnesota-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party said young group he said to connected nan run way were “Walz pilled.”

Walz and different Democrats went into nan 2023 legislative convention pinch an eager schedule — and a whopping $17.6 cardinal fund surplus to thief money it. Their proudest accomplishments included sweeping protections for abortion authorities that included nan elimination of astir each restrictions Republicans had enacted successful anterior years, including a 24-hour waiting play and parental consent requirements. They besides enacted caller protections for trans rights, making nan authorities a refuge for families coming from retired of authorities for curen for trans children.

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Their different awesome accomplishments included taxation credits for families pinch children that were aimed astatine slashing puerility poverty, arsenic good arsenic cosmopolitan free schoolhouse breakfasts and lunches for each students, sloppy of family income. They besides enacted a paid family and aesculapian time off program, legalized recreational marijuana for adults and made it easier to vote.

Republicans complained that Walz and his chap Democrats squandered a surplus that would person been amended spent connected imperishable taxation alleviation for everyone. And they’ve faulted nan politician and his management for lax oversight of pandemic programs that costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Federal prosecutors charged 70 group pinch defrauding national nutrient programs that funded meals for kids during nan pandemic retired of $250 cardinal connected Walz’s watch. Known arsenic nan Feeding Our Future scandal, it’s 1 of nan country’s largest pandemic assistance fraud cases. The Office of nan Legislative Auditor, a nonpartisan watchdog, delivered a scathing study successful June that said Walz’s Department of Education “failed to enactment connected informing signs,” did not efficaciously workout its authority and was ill-prepared to respond.

Republicans still knock Walz for his consequence to nan sometimes convulsive unrest that followed nan execution of George Floyd by a Minneapolis constabulary serviceman successful 2020, which included nan torching of a constabulary station.

During a May fundraiser successful St. Paul, Trump repeated his mendacious declare that he was responsible for deploying nan National Guard to quell nan violence. “The full metropolis was burning down. … If you didn’t person maine arsenic president, you wouldn’t person Minneapolis today,” Trump said.

It was really Walz who gave nan order, which he issued successful consequence to requests from nan mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul. But wrong Minnesota, GOP legislators said some Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey were excessively slow to act. And location was finger-pointing betwixt Frey and Walz connected who was responsible for not activating nan Guard faster.

Walz has served often arsenic a Biden-Harris surrogate, and has made progressively predominant appearances connected nationalist television. They’ve included an question and reply connected Fox News that irritated Trump truthful overmuch that he posted connected Truth Social, “They make maine conflict battles I shouldn’t person to fight.” Walz is besides co-chair of nan rules committee for nan Democratic National Convention. And he led a White House gathering of Democratic governors pinch Biden pursuing nan president’s disastrous capacity successful his statement pinch Trump.

Putting Walz connected nan summons could thief Democrats clasp nan state’s 10 electoral votes and bolster nan statement much broadly successful nan Midwest. No Republican has won a statewide title successful Minnesota since Tim Pawlenty was re-elected politician successful 2006, but GOP candidates for lawyer wide and authorities auditor came adjacent successful 2022.

Trump vanished conscionable 1.5 percent points down Democrat Hillary Clinton successful nan authorities successful 2016. While Biden carried Minnesota by much than 7 points successful 2020, Trump has taken to falsely claiming that he won nan authorities past clip and tin do it again.

Minnesota has produced 2 vice presidents, Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.