It’s official: Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Some Minnesotans saw this on the horizon, given Walz’s success in implementing progressive state policies and his recent popularity in national discourse.
Politics aside, Harris was also focused on finding a real connection with her potential running mate. Three sources close to the decision-making process told the New York Times that “Harris wants to pick someone with whom she could quickly build a close and loyalty-driven relationship.”
Ultimately, she decided Walz was the best fit for her presidential ticket. “[Walz] is a battle-tested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done for Minnesota families,” Harris says in a text message sent out by her campaign.
Here are a few other reasons she went with Walz, according to her Instagram post announcing the decision:
Support for the Middle Class
“One of the things that stood out to me most about [Walz] is how his convictions on fighting for middle-class families run deep. It’s personal,” Harris writes. Last year, Walz enacted a state tax cut through the One Minnesota Budget that included tax cuts for nearly 1.4 million middle-class Minnesotans.
Small-Town Upbringing and Other Biographical Details
Harris notes Walz’s small-town Nebraska upbringing, where he spent summers working on his family’s farm. After his father passed, his family relied on Social Security survivor check benefits to get by, she explains. Additionally, he’s a military veteran, having served in the National Guard for 24 years (since the age of 17). Following his service, Walz used his GI Bill benefits to go to college and later became teacher—he taught social studies and geography at Mankato West High School, where he was also a football coach and the advisor of the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance.
Infrastructure Investments
Walz has a lengthy and progressive track record when it comes to local infrastructure investments. One recent example is his $982 million 2024 Infrastructure Plan, which allocated funds for clean water and transportation infrastructure, public safety projects, and housing.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Walz signed this bill into law last year—it ensures that working Minnesotans don’t have to choose between taking time off and caring for a sick child or family member. The bill created a state-paid program that provides 12-20 weeks of leave in a 52-week period for “medical leave, bonding, or caring for a family member.”
Abortion Legislation
“He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,” Harris writes. The pair has come together on this issue in the past, when Harris and Walz visited a St. Paul Planned Parenthood clinic in March of this year—an article by Minnesota Reformer quotes Harris as saying she visited the clinic to “uplift the work that is happening in Minnesota as an example of what true leadership looks like.”
Universal Background Checks
Walz’s passing of a gun-safety bill requiring universal background checks (as an avid hunter himself) was a plus for Harris.
His Family
In addition to his professional accolades, Harris says there was one thing that impressed her most about Walz: “his deep commitment to his family,” which includes his wife, Gwen, and the couple’s two children, Hope and Gus. “Doug and I look forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values,” Harris writes.
