Kamala Harris’s Vice President Explained: Who is Tim Walz?

It’s official: according to CNN, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her Vice Presidential nominee. The Governor has long been regarded as a frontrunner for the position, and he’s now beaten out a field that supposedly included Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

But who is Tim Walz, and what does he bring to the table?

Early Career

After a career in education and the Army National Guard, Tim Walz ran for the US House of Representatives in 2006. Amidst a national blue wave, Walz unseated incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in Minnesota’s 1st congressional district – a competitive district containing Rochester as well as all of the state’s rural south.

As a Congressman, Walz maintained a moderate record fitting his district; he survived the red waves of 2010 and 2014 by fairly wide margins. In 2016, however, Walz carried the district by only a two-point margin as the seat had swung from an Obama+2 district to a Trump+15 district. Perhaps sensing the tide turning, Walz opted not to run for re-election in 2018 – the seat immediately flipped to the Republican Party, becoming one of only two to flip red that year.

Run for Governor and tenure

With incumbent Democrat Mark Dayton retiring, Walz threw his hat in the ring ahead of the 2018 gubernatorial race. In a three-way primary, Walz defeated State Rep. Erin Murphy by a nearly 10-point margin. While Murphy carried Duluth and the Twin Cities, Walz dominated the rest of the state. Walz would go on to easy win the general election, defeating Republican Jeff Johnson by an 11-point margin – and carrying his old congressional district in the process. Walz would go on to be re-elected in 2022 by an 8-point margin – and gained a narrow majority in both houses of the legislature in the process.

Walz’s second term as governor has been characterized by a progressive agenda. The state has instituted a paid leave program, legalized marijuana, and codified abortion rights into state law. Walz himself has also adopted more liberal stances on issues like gun control; his A rating from the NRA has become an F rating following the passage of a background check red flag law bill.

What Walz’s selection means

By selecting Walz, Harris is picking someone favored by both labor unions and progressives. While Walz is not extremely progressive himself, the rapid pace of Minnesota’s legislative agenda has impressed liberals and progressives. Walz also has a background in dealing with rural voters, and the Harris team likely hopes he’ll play a key role in outreach to rural and Midwestern voters. Minnesota itself is not considered to be a frontline swing state, so his selection is not expected to substantially impact the election there.

At the same time, Walz does present a handful of problems for the Harris campaign. Harris is already broadly perceived as liberal, and this selection may not do anything to counter Republican attacks on her ideology. Additionally, Republicans are likely to target Walz over his initial handling of the Minneapolis riots in 2020, which Walz himself regarded as an “abject failure”.