Harris picks Tim Walz as running mate
Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 election against former president Donald Trump. The former teacher and Army National Guard veteran was selected to join the Democratic ticket in their fight against Trump and his running mate, the controversial Vance.
The shortlist included half a dozen Democrats including Pennsylvania’s governor Joh Shapiro and Arizona senator Mark Kelly. Harris held in-person interviews with Walz, Shapiro, and Kelly before deciding on the former teacher and veteran.
While the pair did not have much of a relationship beforehand, aides said that the current VP was increasingly enthusiastic with how Walz carried himself, finding a warm chemistry with the Minnesota Governor during their final meeting at her residents at the Naval Observatory. “His authenticity” was among the things that impressed her, a person close to the process told CNN.
At a rally in Philadelphia, they held their first appearance together with Walz portraying himself both as a folksy Midwestern everyman and simultaneously an “attack dog” for Harris.
“Thank you for bringing back the joy,” he said to Harris as he took the lectern, saying he is “thrilled to be on this journey” with her and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. “We’ve got 91 days. We’ll sleep when we’re dead,” Walz told the crowd. “Over those 91 days, and every day in the White House, I’ll have Vice President Harris’ back every single day – and we’ll have yours.”
In a unique fortnight period, Walz climbed from a third-tier candidate to a final contender for Harris and her team, being propelled from support across the party.
“He talks and looks like a lot of the voters we’ve lost to Trump,” said a longtime Democratic operative and supporter of Walz since the day President Joe Biden dropped from the race.
