Why did Kamala Harris pick Tim Walz as her running mate? The strategy behind the decision

Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday. The 60-year-old military veteran was responsible for protecting abortion rights and providing aid to families in his state.

Walz joins Harris during a turbulent political time. Republican nominee Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in July and his supporters have rallied around him. Shortly after that, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee.

How Walz can help Harris win the Midwest

Walz was one of several candidates that Harris chose from, the great majority of whom were white men. Harris is the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket. Her decision to pick Walz, the man who started the “Republicans are weird” trend, could help her chances of winning over the critical upper Midwest.

In 2016, Trump won Michigan and Wisconsin, but lost them in 2020. As he runs against Harris, he’s focused on winning those states again. Walz grew up in West Point, Nebraska and was a high school teacher, football coach, and union member at Mankato West High School in Minnesota. He was a member of the Army National Guard for 24 years, where he served as command sergeant major. In 2006, Walz was elected to Congress, winning a populist competitive district.

Minnesota has a history of being a state with a divided government. In 2018, Walz ran for governor of Minnesota and won by more than 11 points, but the Senate was still led by Republicans. Despite dealing with the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic during his first run, Walz was reelected in 2022, winning by nearly eight points. After that, he successfully flipped the Senate, giving Democrats full control for the first time in eight years.

In 2023, Walz and his fellow Democrats accomplished a lot: they enacted protections for abortion rights and trans rights, made Minnesota a refugee state for out-of-state families who came for treatment for trans children, gave free school breakfasts and lunches to all children, enacted a paid family and medical leave program, and legalized recreational marijuana.

With Walz by Harris’ side, the Democrats could hold Minnesota’s 10 electoral votes as well as boost the Democratic party throughout the Midwest.