White House 2024: Kamala Harris Picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Running Mate

Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential nominee.

Tim Walz, 60, is a former school teacher  and member of Congress.

Kamala Harris wrote on social media that he stood out from the competition because “his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep”.

But the Trump campaign said Tim Walz was a “dangerously liberal extremist”.

He is viewed as somebody who can win over rural and working-class voters, particularly in crucial Midwestern states.

On August 6, Tim Walz appeared with Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before the pair begin a five-day tour of other key battleground states.

They will also speak at the Democratic National Convention later this month, from 19 to 22 August in Chicago, when the Harris-Walz ticket will be made formal.

Tim Walz said earlier it was “the honor of a lifetime” to join the Democratic ticket.

Kamala Harris was officially selected as the party’s presidential nominee by a virtual roll-call vote that ended on August 5.

They will face Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, in the general election on November 5.

Image source: Minnesota.gov

US media reports indicated Kamala Harris had not decided her running mate until August 6.

Her campaign vetted about a dozen people over the past two weeks.

Announcing the selection, Kamala Harris shared details of Tim Walz’s background “both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record”.

“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own,” she wrote.

“We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.”

During the vetting process, Tim Walz drew enthusiastic support from pro-labor groups and his party’s progressive wing.

He also gained attention with his description of Donald Trump and ‘Make America Great Again’ Republicans as “weird”.