Kamala Harris selected Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, choosing the Minnesota governor to complement her in a historic and challenging bid for the White House.
Walz was among several Democratic figures considered to broaden Harris’s appeal as she prepares to face Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
Harris aims to make history as the first woman president, having already broken barriers as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president. With Election Day on November 5 approaching, she has limited time to campaign.
CNN first reported the choice early Tuesday morning.
Harris was expected to choose a white man to balance the ticket and counter Republican claims that she is too far to the left. Walz, a 60-year-old Midwesterner with a relatable manner, fits this profile.
He comes from a region distinct from the coastal elites of California, where Harris is from, and the East Coast.
Walz also appeals to progressives, having supported popular Democratic policies such as cannabis legalization and increased worker protections.
The campaign will begin immediately, with Harris and Walz embarking on a five-day tour through battleground states, starting with Pennsylvania.
Having secured the official Democratic nomination, Harris will head to the national convention in Chicago in two weeks, now in complete control of her party.
Harris’s journey has been remarkable, entering the race only last month after President Joe Biden withdrew due to concerns over his mental acuity and ability to serve a second term at 81. In just two weeks, the 59-year-old former prosecutor has set fundraising records, attracted large crowds, and dominated social media, narrowing Trump’s lead in polls.
The latest presidential poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, released Monday, shows Harris leading Trump nationally by three points — 46 percent to 43 percent — compared to Trump’s four-point lead over Biden in January.
– First major test –
In the swing states that determine the Electoral College outcome in U.S. elections, Harris is currently in a close race with Trump, who surprised the world with his 2016 presidential victory but was defeated by Biden in 2020.
Selecting a vice presidential running mate was considered the first significant test for Harris in her quest to become the country’s chief executive.
“It tells you about her thought process,” Amy Walter, a polling expert from Cook Political Report newsletter, told CBS News.
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