Kamala Harris Picks Minnesota Governor Walz as Running Mate
Governor Tim Walz at an agricultural fair. Photo: X/ @ProjectLincoln
August 6, 2024 Hour: 12:04 pm
She aims at strengthening support for the Democrats among rural and white voters in Midwestern states.
On Tuesday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who has won enough delegate votes to secure the Democratic presidential nomination, unveiled Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
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“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Tim Walz to be my running mate. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team. Now let’s get to work,” said Harris, who aimed at strengthening support for the Democrats among rural and white voters in Midwestern states.
Harris, who is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, with the choice of Walz, aims to broaden the Democratic Party’s appeal for a wider range of votes in this election, which is only three months away.
The 60-year-old politician Walz previously served as a U.S. House Representative. He was elected Governor of Minnesota in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
Harris, who spent much of her career in deep-blue California, “chose from a list of finalists populated by White men, including Walz, who have represented more competitive swaths of the country,” the Washington Post commented.
By choosing Walz, Harris has opted for an experienced politician with executive leadership skills, highlighting the significance of Midwestern swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Walz emerged from a crowded field of potential vice-presidential picks. Over the weekend, Harris interviewed three finalists: Walz, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
The Minnesota governor Walz is known for being a member of agricultural organizations, an Army National Guard veteran, a former football coach, a former geography teacher, a churchgoer, an auto repairman, and an animal lover, as recalled by the Lincoln Project.
Later on Tuesday, Harris will introduce Walz at a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The five-day online voting by thousands of Democratic delegates concluded on Monday evening, and the Democratic National Committee announced around midnight that Harris had received 99 percent of the delegate votes, officially securing the party’s presidential nomination.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled from Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago, where Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination and deliver a speech outlining her political agenda.
The race between Harris and former President Donald Trump is currently very tight. According to polling data compiled by the U.S. election information website Real Clear Politics, as of Tuesday, Harris leads Trump by an average of 0.2 percentage point in national polls, though Trump still leads in several key swing states.
teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua – The Lincoln Project
