According to the internet, Kamala Harris is “brat” and Tim Walz is “Midwest Princess,” both references to artists who have had meteoric successes in 2024: Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, respectively.
Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential race on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Walz’s experience as governor, midwestern appeal, chemistry with Harris, social media energy and more help explain why Harris chose him and what he brings to the table policy-wise.
Past experience
Walz’s priorities as governor have included progressive tax policies including child tax credits, free in-state public college tuition for households earning under $80,000 a year, abortion rights, gender-affirming care, paid family/medical leave, accessible housing and clean energy, according to Politico.
Some of the most notable bills he has signed into law include the Free School Meals for Kids bill, which provides free breakfast and lunch to children at school regardless of their family’s income; the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which establishes reproductive freedom as a fundamental right; and a bill that requires Minnesota to generate all its energy from carbon-free sources by 2040.
As a congressman, he served on the Armed Services, Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs committees.
Walz is unique in that his priorities span and sometimes transcend party lines.
Midwestern appeal
During the 2016 elections, a major pitfall for the Democratic Party was that it ignored the blue-collar “Rust Belt,” which includes states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to the Atlantic.
To have a governor from a Midwestern state as a vice presidential candidate marks a change from this issue — especially considering Walz was also chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
His range of experiences as a teacher, football coach, dad and soldier does two things: it informs his policy and it allows him to say things on the campaign trail that only really work because of this background.
“We believe in the Second Amendment, but we also believe in common sense gun violence laws … For three years in a row, I was the top gun in the congressional trap shoot, so we can shoot better than them too,” Walz said at a rally in Arizona earlier this month.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Campaign chemistry
From a campaign strategy perspective, Walz’s relative anonymity compared to other speculated contenders for the vice presidential pick makes it difficult for the Republican Party to form attack lines in time.
Additionally, Harris’ comfort levels with potential candidates was taken into consideration during the decision, according to the Associated Press.
Social media and campaign energy
One of the first images to surface on social media of Tim Walz was of him tying a child’s shoe.
He has been widely lauded on social media as bringing “wholesome dad vibes” to the Harris campaign. A campaign sign that reads “COACH” is frequently spotted at rallies, in reference to his time coaching a high school football team.
Within 24 hours after the announcement of Walz’s inclusion on the ticket, Harris’ campaign raised a total of $36 million, according to NPR.
As of Aug. 15, Walz is on a “five-state dash,” by the end of which he will have stopped in Los Angeles; Boston; Denver; Newport, Rhode Island; and Southampton, New York, according to ABC.
Potential criticisms
Rakin Faruk, president of UNM College Democrats, pointed to two critiques young voters especially may have of Walz.
“No candidate is perfect, and UNM College Democrats is adamant on continuing to hold candidates accountable. Walz has directly funded Line 3, (harming) Indigenous communities, and has voted to send money to Israel time and time again — two points in politics Gen Z takes very seriously,” Faruk said.
Line 3 is a pipeline that transports tar sands from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. Indigenous-led movements have protested the pipeline since before the construction of the Minnesota portion of it in 2020, according to the Guardian. The Minnesota portion crosses over 200 bodies of water and 75 miles of wetlands, according to the Sierra Club.
Two other common criticisms levied against Walz include those about his military record and a DUI in 1995.
Walz, a former member of the National Guard, has been accused of deserting the military, inflating his rank and exaggerating aspects of his time in military service. However, PBS reported that Walz’s battalion was ordered to mobilize to Iraq two months after Walz retired. He was deployed once to Vicenza, Italy to serve as back-up for the war in Afghanistan, according to CBS.
While he has not explicitly implied having been in combat during his speeches, using the phrase “weapons I used in war” when discussing gun violence laws may be a tad disingenuous.
After he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in 1995, Walz pleaded guilty to reckless driving, a reduced charge, according to MPR News. He later made public comments in the Minneapolis Star Tribune describing the incident as a “gut-check” moment for him.
Willingness to change
Walz has shown willingness to change his position on issues.
While he was once enthusiastically supported by gun rights advocates, Walz walked back support for the National Rifle Association and called for gun safety measures in the aftermath of the 2018 Parkland shooting, according to the Guardian.
“Walz being ‘sway-able’ is one of the most important factors to him being a strategic pick for Harris,” Faruk said.
This is something that could particularly appeal to young voters, especially those that are tired of the Joe Biden administration’s rigid stance on the war in Gaza.
Given his wide range of legislative experience, personal background and personal qualities, Harris’ choice for vice president is strategically sound.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com
