Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. This decision elevates the position of Walz, who was a former teacher and Army National Guard veteran, to join the Democratic ticket to help lead the party’s campaign against Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Harris made the selection via a video call that she made to Minnesota Governor Walz, according to a source familiar with the situation. This decision concludes Walz’s quick elevation from a relatively important person to a prominent opponent of the former president and the MAGA agenda, Donald Trump.
The decision of Walz came from a fast-paced vice presidential search that was picked from a shortlist of about six Democrats, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. Harris did personal interviews with Walz, Shapiro, and Kelly on Sunday.
Harris became increasingly impressed with his genuine demeanor and found a strong connection during their final meeting at her residence at the Naval Observatory, despite not having a prior relationship with Walz. Harris was particularly struck by Walz’s originality, according to a source familiar with the process.
Walz rose from a third-tier candidate to a final contender before the current vice president and her vetting team in just two weeks, gaining support from various groups within the Democratic Party.
“He speaks and looks like many of the voters we’ve lost to Trump,” according to a longtime Democratic operative who has given his backing to Walz since President Joe Biden stepped aside.
Walz accompanied Harris during her historic visit to an abortion clinic in March, the first by a sitting vice president. A person who is close to Walz disclosed that this visit, along with their time together during his 2022 reelection campaign, had an important impact on their relationship.
“The chemistry between Harris and Walz was crucial, and it clicked for both of them,” the person revealed. “Additionally, the Harris campaign saw how energizing Walz was for the Democratic base.”
The Trump campaign did not keep mum about Harris’s decision, with one of them claiming that the vice president “gave in to the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel left by choosing someone as dangerously liberal as herself.” Shapiro, another finalist for the role, is Jewish and has been critical of certain demonstrators protesting Israel’s war against Hamas.
Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Walz “has tried to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State” during his time as governor.