Kamala Harris Selects Tim Walz as Running Mate for Presidential Bid

Washington, D.C., The Gulf Observer: Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, aiming to attract rural, white voters with a progressive policy champion and a plain speaker from America’s heartland, multiple reports confirm.

Walz, a 60-year-old US Army National Guard veteran and former teacher, was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006, representing a Republican-leaning district for 12 years before becoming governor of Minnesota in 2018. As governor, he has promoted a progressive agenda, including free school meals, climate change initiatives, tax cuts for the middle class, and expanded paid leave for Minnesota workers.

The Harris campaign believes that Walz’s extensive National Guard career, his success as a high school football coach, and his relatable “Dad joke” videos will appeal to voters not yet committed to a second term for Donald Trump.

Harris, 59, rejuvenated the Democratic Party’s hopes for an election victory after becoming its candidate following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race on July 21. Harris and Walz will compete against Trump and his running mate JD Vance, also a military veteran from the Midwest, in the November 5 election.

Campaigning for Harris, often seen in a camouflage baseball hat and T-shirt, Walz has criticized Trump and Vance as “weird,” a term that has gained traction with the Harris campaign, social media, and Democratic activists. Walz has also challenged Trump and Vance’s claims of middle-class credentials, resonating with the young voters Harris aims to reengage. David Hogg, co-founder of the gun safety group March for Our Lives, praised Walz as a “great communicator.”