As the US Democratic presidential candidate, Harris selected Walz as the partner who could best complement her historic campaign for the White House. Walz, among a list of Democratic figures considered to enhance Harris’s appeal as she faces off against Donald Trump, was chosen for his broad-based appeal.
With a goal of becoming the first female president, Harris—already a trailblazer as the first female, Black, and South Asian vice president—faces a tight schedule before the November 5 Election Day. CNN reported the choice early Tuesday morning.
There was anticipation that Harris would select a white man to balance the ticket and counter Republican claims that she is too far left. Walz, a 60-year-old Midwesterner with a relatable persona from a state distant from the coastal elites of California or the East Coast, fits this description. His support for progressive policies like cannabis legalization and worker protections also aligns with Democratic values.
Harris and Walz will immediately hit the campaign trail, starting with a five-day tour of battleground states, beginning Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Following her official Democratic nomination overnight, Harris is set to enter the national convention in Chicago in two weeks fully in control of her party.
Harris, who entered the race only last month after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal due to concerns over his age and mental acuity, has quickly made an impact. In just two weeks, the 59-year-old former prosecutor has shattered fundraising records, drawn large crowds, and dominated social media, erasing Trump’s previously growing lead in the polls.
The latest University of Massachusetts Amherst poll shows Harris leading Trump nationally by three points—46 percent to 43 percent—compared to a four-point lead for Trump over Biden in January.
Selecting a vice presidential running mate was seen as Harris’s first major test. “It tells you about her thought process,” said Amy Walter, a polling expert from the Cook Political Report, to CBS News.
Harris and Walz will now face their first major challenge as they campaign across the nation from Philadelphia to Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada. Tropical Storm Debby has forced a postponement in Georgia and possibly North Carolina.
Pennsylvania, a key state in the 2020 election, was a reason why some expected Harris to choose its governor, Josh Shapiro, instead. Other candidates on the shortlist included former astronaut and current senator Mark Kelly from Arizona and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
Trump, who had a strong political standing last month after surviving an assassination attempt and using the Republican convention to project vitality against the frail Biden, is now scrambling to adjust to Biden’s exit and Harris’s rapid start. At a rally in Georgia, Trump labeled Harris a “Marxist” and a “radical left freak,” predicting an “economic crash” if she were elected. He also controversially claimed that Harris had “turned Black” for political gain.
In contrast to Biden’s previous attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy, Harris’s campaign has adopted a sharper, meme-friendly strategy, portraying Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance as “weird.” The Harris campaign has also accused Trump of being “scared” to debate her after he declined a scheduled debate on ABC, but expressed willingness to debate on Fox News.