Harris taps Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Democratic running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her Democratic running mate for the 2024 presidential election. The two are scheduled to appear together later in the day Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“Tim is a battle-tested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done for Minnesota families,” Harris wrote in a campaign message blasted out to supporters. “I know that he will bring that same principled leadership to our campaign, and to the office of the vice president.”

Walz, 60, confirmed that he had accepted the position in a social media post, nodding to his decades-long career as a high school teacher: “I’m all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school.”

Walz in the past two weeks has been on a short list for the vice presidential candidate spot, along with fellow Democratic rising stars Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Harris made calls to the contenders who were not selected Tuesday morning, a source told NBC News.

Shapiro, who was reportedly the second-most likely pick, put out a statement in an effort to be a good sport about the Harris campaign’s choice.

“Governor Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward,” Shapiro said. “Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished.”

Shapiro is scheduled to deliver remarks at the Harris-Walz rally in Philadelphia.  

Walz still needs to introduce himself to many voters over the next 91 days. An NPR/PBS/Marist poll published Tuesday found that 71% of respondents said they had never heard of Walz, or did not have an opinion of him.

This relatively low name recognition could also be an asset to Harris, however. It forces the Trump campaign to spend precious time and resources racing against the Harris campaign to be first to define Walz in the eyes of voters.

Within minutes of formally announcing Walz as Harris’ running mate, the campaign went live with a webpage titled “Meet Governor Tim Walz” to help voters get acquainted with the new name on the Democratic ticket.

Harris and Walz will face the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

The Trump campaign has already begun constructing a battalion of attacks against Walz, accusing him of supporting “open border” policies and “defunding the police,” as well as other spin attempting to portray the Harris-Walz ticket as radically left of center.

“Just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

But a key Democratic king maker was quick to push back.

“To characterize him as left is just so unreal,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday morning. “He’s right down the middle. He’s a heartland of America Democrat.”

Walz was born in the small town of West Point, Nebraska, and joined the Army National Guard after graduating from high school in Butte, Nebraska.

He later worked as a high school teacher for several decades, during which he coached football and was a faculty advisor for the school’s gay-straight alliance.

He won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, where he served six terms, and was elected Minnesota’s governor in 2018. Walz is the only person on both the Democratic and Republican tickets who served in the House.

Harris became the de facto Democratic nominee two weeks ago, after President Joe Biden exited the race following a disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June.

Harris’ campaign has since been on a turbocharged timeline to pivot the Democratic ticket, including a highly accelerated vetting process for potential running mates.

As Harris whittled down her short list over the weekend, she met in person with Walz, Shapiro and Kelly, a source familiar with the meetings told NBC News.

To make her ultimate decision, the vice president was looking for a governing partner she had chemistry with and could envision working well with for the next four to eight years, sources familiar with Harris’ process told NBC News.

She wanted someone who would not undermine her leadership, could potentially expand the Democratic map and who could deftly handle GOP attacks.

Walz offers Harris connections to Capitol Hill, a potential appeal to rural voters, a record of progressive policy victories, and well-sharpened media skills.