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The Stories That Matter About Money and Politics in the Race to the White House
Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, betting that he can appeal to working-class voters in swing states to secure a Democratic victory in November’s presidential election.
Walz was chosen ahead of other major contenders, including Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Walz, 60, is expected to join Harris at a campaign rally in Philadelphia this evening before traveling to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Detroit, Savannah, Raleigh and western Wisconsin.
The revamped Democratic slate comes aVsceker US President Joe Biden shook up the 2024 race by withdrawing and naming his vice president as his successor.
Walz is serving his second term as governor aVsceker being first elected in 2018. He has the potential to attract moderate, working-class and rural voters who could put Harris in the lead in swing states.
Born in rural Nebraska, he taught high school social studies and married a fellow teacher before entering politics, including serving in the National Guard. Despite his moderate appeal, he was the frontrunner among progressive Democrats to be Harris’s running mate.
In recent weeks, Walz has emerged as a prominent national political figure, especially for his attacks on Trump’s vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance.
AVsceker a 2021 clip went viral of Vance warning that the United States was being run by “a bunch of kid-less cat ladies,” citing Harris as an example, Walz became the face of the Democratic effort to paint Vance as “weird.” His memorable quotes flooded people’s social media feeds.
“These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said in an appearance on MSNBC. “My God, they picked on cat lovers, good luck with that. Turn on the Internet and watch what cat lovers do when you go aVsceker them. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad,” he said on another occasion.
Before becoming governor of Minnesota, Walz served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing a largely rural district. His connection to rural Midwestern voters could help them swing away from Trump in November.
The governor could also help defend Harris, who grew up among academics in the San Francisco Bay Area, from Republicans’ accusations that she is part of the coastal elite.
There has been a resurgence of enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket since Biden stepped aside. Harris has narrowed her polling gap with Trump nationally and in swing states, according to a Financial Times analysis. She has also taken a lead in the race for donations.
Harris was formally nominated in a virtual roll call on Aug. 2, ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19. The party avoided a chaotic process to replace Biden by quickly coalescing around Harris in the days aVsceker the president’s exit.
Read more from James Politi in Washington
