DemDaily: Its Harris-Walz!
August 7, 2024
A jubilant, confident and truly inspiring Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz rocked the stage last night in Philadelphia -- appearing together for the first time as the Democratic Presidential nominee and running mate.
Harris announced the choice of Walz Tuesday, tapping the Minnesota Governor as her partner in their historic fight for the White House.
The decision follows a truncated two-week veepstakes process that further fueled the overwhelming excitement generated by Harris' candidacy and anticipation around her consequential choice.
The campaign posted a one-minute video to social media yesterday morning of the moment she called the popular midwestern politician to ask him to join her on the Democratic ticket.
"I would be honored, Madam Vice President," Walz said over the phone. "The joy that you're bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that's out there, it'll be a privilege to take this with you across the country."
| On Walz: “His convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal...As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.” - Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris |
The Path
Harris became the defacto nominee after President Joe Biden, on Sunday, July 22, announced he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race and "passing the torch" to the next generation.
She became the Democratic Party's official nominee Monday, August 5, upon completion of the virtual five-day roll call vote, securing 99% of the total delegates. The acceptance of Harris and Walz' nomination was certified by DNCC Chair Minyon Moore.
The presidential ticket will be given a ceremonial vote by delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago August 19-22.
Who is Tim Walz?
A two-term governor in a purple state, Walz is known as a smart, plain-spoken, and sometimes sharp-tongued leader who is principled, effective, and extraordinarily relatable to working-class voters.
He brings what USAToday called, "political acuity, suburban-and-rural appeal and progressive patriotism" to the fight -- a true foil to GOP Vice Presidential nominee J.D.Vance.
| “Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect.” - former President Barack Obama |
A Nebraska native who fully embraces his Midwestern middle-class upbringing, Walz grew up on a farm and enlisted in the Army National Guard, where he served for 24 years and received the Army Commendation Medal for heroism or meritorious service. He is the highest-ranking non-commissioned man ever to serve in the US Congress.
He and his wife, Gwen, moved to Minnesota in the mid-nineties, working as teachers and raising their two children, Hope and Gus. Walz also served as football coach for the Mankato West High School, guiding them to their first state championship in 1999.
The same year, Walz agreed to be the faculty advisor of the school's first gay-straight alliance.
At the encouragement of his students, Walz ran for Congress, winning the traditionally conservative Rochester-based First Congressional District by 5.6%, and was reelected five subsequent times. He left Congress as the highest-ranking Democrat on the Veteran's Affairs Committee.
In 2018, Walz was elected governor of Minnesota, defeating Trump-endorsed former Minnesota State Representative Jeff Johnson, 53.8%-42.4%.
As governor, Walz signed legislation extending background checks and red flag laws, restoring voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony, passing paid family and medical leave, providing free breakfast and lunch for public school students, and codifying abortion reproductive rights in state law.
When he was reelected in 2022 by 7.7%, the Democrats took over the State Senate and held onto the State House, giving their party the first trifecta in Minnesota government in a decade.
Walz was elected by his fellow governors as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association in December 2023, becoming a prominent name among national donors.
A fiery, yet charmingly folksy Walz wasted no time setting the campaign's tone, attacking the GOP, saying, “Some of us are old enough to remember when it was Republicans who were talking about freedom. It turns out now, what they meant was the government should be free to invade your doctor's office.
“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make, even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves. There’s a golden rule: Mind your own damn business.”
| On Trump: “He doesn’t know the first thing about service” and “froze in the face of the Covid crisis. He sows chaos and division...He froze in the face of the Covid crisis. He drove our economy into the ground. And make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump — that’s not even counting the crimes that he committed.” - Democratic Presidential VP Nominee Tim Walz |
Harris and Walz are kicking off on a seven-stop multistate battleground tour to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
DemList will keep you informed.
Related
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Kimberly Scott
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Sources: Washington Post, NPR, AP, Harris Campaign, Reuters, Wiki, CBS
