WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former school teacher and member of Congress, as her vice-presidential nominee.
She wrote on social media that Walz stood out from the competition because “his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep”.
Walz, 60, said it was “the honor of a lifetime” to join the Democratic ticket.
He is viewed as somebody who can win over rural and working-class voters, particularly in crucial Midwestern US states.
Walz appeared with Harris on Tuesday at a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before the pair begin a five-day tour of other key battleground states.
They will also speak at the Democratic National Convention later this month, from Aug 19 to 22 in Chicago, when the Harris-Walz ticket will be made formal.
Harris was officially selected as the party’s presidential nominee by a virtual roll-call vote that ended on Monday.
They will face Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, in the general election on Nov 5.
Announcing the selection, Harris shared details of Walz’s background “both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record”.
“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own,” she wrote.
“We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.”
Trump’s campaign slammed Walz as a “West Coast wannabe” who “has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota” in the image of a left-wing California.
“If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that the two “will be the strongest defenders of our personal freedoms and our democracy”.
“They will ensure that America continues to lead the world and play its role as the indispensable nation.”
As the current two-term governor of Minnesota, Walz has overseen one of the most productive legislative periods in state history.
Walz is a native of rural Nebraska and the son of a school administrator and a stay-at-home mother.
He grew up farming and hunting and served in the Army National Guard for 24 years after joining aged 17.
The young Walz also taught secondary school pupils – first for one year in China, then in Nebraska.
His wife, Gwen Whipple, a fellow teacher, drew him to her native Minnesota, where he taught social studies and geography and coached American football. — NNN-AGENCIES