Harris taps Tim Walz to help her kick Trump’s butt in November

Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, ending weeks of speculation as her presidential campaign has gained steam. ”I am proud to announce that I've asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate,” Harris posted on social media Tuesday morning. “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.” The pick finalizes a ticket that has reinvigorated Democratic voters in the wake of President Joe Biden’s July 21 decision to drop out of the race and pass the torch to Harris. Walz has successfully pushed through pro-labor policies in the North Star State by establishing paid sick and medical leave, banning noncompete agreements, and expanding labor protections to Amazon warehouse workers. Prior to his life in politics, he worked for decades as a high school teacher and football coach and also served in the National Guard. The popular governor has proved to be an excellent surrogate for his party’s presidential nominee. In the weeks leading up to Harris’ announcement of a running mate, Walz, 60, appeared on television and at rallies, effectively promoting Democratic policies over the “weird” positions and statements of Republican politicians. Harris and Walz will face off against Donald Trump and his faux-hillbilly running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Almost immediately, Vance looked like a poor pick by Trump and a drag on the GOP ticket. Polling shows he is the least liked vice presidential candidate in more than four decades. Trump admitted his primary reason for choosing Vance was the senator’s willingness to fawn over Trump. “When we got to know each other, [Vance] liked me, maybe more than anybody liked me,” Trump said in their first interview together. No mention of policy ideas, political acumen, or expertise in anything substantive—he just seemed to like Trump “more than anybody” liked Trump. YouTube Video Unlike Vance, Walz does not have a long and embarrassing record of publicly attacking his running mate. He has never referred to the person at the top of his party’s ticket as “America’s Hitler” or used the word “reprehensible” to describe him. Nor has Walz ever called Harris “cultural heroin,” or said that her policy ideas “range from immoral to absurd.” Walz has never argued that Harris is “leading the white working class to a very dark place,” nor declared her “unfit for our nation’s highest office.” In fact, the governor immediately endorsed Harris after her announcement. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets Vice President Kamala Harris as she arrives in St Paul, Minnesota, on March 14. “I’ve known Vice President Kamala Harris for years and I’ve seen her strengthen national security, protect reproductive rights, and pass historic legislation. As a prosecutor running against a convicted felon, no one is better qualified to unite our party and take on Donald Trump,” Walz posted on social media the day after Harris jumped into the race. “I’m proud to give Kamala my full support and commit to doing everything in my power to make sure she gets elected in November.” The race is officially on. Democrats will gather in Chicago for their national convention on Aug. 19, where they will officially nominate the fresh ticket that has revitalized the party and spurred record-breaking donations. Joan McCarter also contributed to this story. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a quote from Harris. Please donate what you can to help send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House!