On Tuesday, Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, choosing a partner she believes will complement her in a historic and intense campaign for the presidency.
This decision, first reported by CNN early Tuesday morning, comes as Harris seeks to become the first female president of the United States.
Walz emerged from a shortlist of Democratic figures aimed at broadening Harris’s appeal as she prepares to face off against Donald Trump.
The expectation that Harris would pick a white man to balance the ticket held true, with Walz seen as the type of Democrat who can counter Republican claims that Harris is too far left.
At 60, Walz brings a folksy demeanor from the Midwest, contrasting with Harris’s California and East Coast roots. He has championed progressive policies such as cannabis legalization and increased worker protections, appealing to the Democratic base.
The duo plans to hit the campaign trail immediately, beginning a five-day tour through key battleground states starting in Pennsylvania.
This follows Harris’s official nomination by the Democratic Party, positioning her to lead the national convention in Chicago in two weeks.
Harris’s journey to this point has been remarkable. She entered the race just last month after President Joe Biden withdrew, citing concerns about his mental acuity and ability to serve a second term at 81.
In the short time since, the 59-year-old former prosecutor has shattered fundraising records, drawn massive crowds, and gained a significant social media presence, narrowing what had been Trump’s lead over Biden in polls.
The latest poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows Harris leading Trump nationally by three points, 46 percent to 43 percent. In swing states critical to the Electoral College outcome, Harris is neck and neck with Trump.
Selecting a vice-presidential running mate was seen as Harris’s first significant test in her presidential bid.
“It tells you about her thought process,” Amy Walter, a polling expert from Cook Political Report, told CBS News.
Harris and Walz’s nationwide campaign tour will take them from Philadelphia to Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada. However, Tropical Storm Debby has forced the postponement of a stop in Georgia and possibly North Carolina.
Pennsylvania, part of the “blue wall” that secured Biden’s 2020 victory, was a strong contender for Harris’s running mate pick. Many expected Harris to choose the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro. Other potential candidates included former astronaut and current Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
Trump, who survived an assassination attempt at a rally last month and used the Republican convention to contrast his vigor with Biden’s frailty, is now recalibrating in response to Harris’s fast start.
At a rally in Georgia, Trump called Harris a “Marxist” and a “radical left freak,” predicting she would cause an “economic crash.”
He also made controversial remarks about Harris’s race, claiming she had “turned Black” for political gain.
Harris’s campaign has adopted a sharper, more meme-friendly approach than Biden’s, branding Trump and his vice-presidential pick, J.D. Vance, as “weird.”
The campaign has also accused Trump of being “scared” to debate Harris, after he declined a scheduled debate on ABC, expressing willingness only to debate her on Fox News.
As the Harris-Walz ticket kicks off its campaign, the nation watches closely, anticipating a fiercely contested election.