When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz showed up MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” blasting Donald Trump and JD Vance as “weird” last week — part of a recent media blitz — the line of attack quickly gained traction among Democrats.
Among them was Kamala Harris, the main de facto presidential candidate, who started using the same word a few days later his campaign message Against the GOP ticket, including a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Saturday.
A simple statement quickly highlighted why Walz, a popular two-term Midwestern governor, former congressman, military veteran and former public school teacher, suddenly went to Harris. a short list of promising running mates.
But Walz’s allies, friends, current and former colleagues point out that his brash brashness is just one of the attributes that make him uniquely suited to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
In addition to his personal story, Walz, 60, is said to have a background representing rural communities that the party needs. progressive policy achievements.
Those Democrats argue that Walz’s background and resume will give him broad appeal in the critical nearby “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — something few other VP candidates can offer.
“If you’re looking for balance on the ticket in terms of life experience, and whoever is going to bring that life experience to the administration with a set of credentials in solving problems for the middle class and American families, Tim Walz is pretty damn good. good biography,” said former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, DN.D., who became close friends with Walz during their time in Washington.
He added that Walz makes voters, especially those in the upper Midwest, think, “Hey, I know that guy” and feel “the comfort level you have with a common human experience, a shared experience.”
Veteran, teacher and red district Democrat
A native of Nebraska, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard at age 17 and has served for more than two decades both domestically and overseas. He later worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach in Mankato, about 80 miles south of Minneapolis, before entering politics.
In 2006, he successfully ran for a congressional seat in a largely rural and agricultural district in southern Minnesota. He represented the 1st Congressional District for 12 years and for nearly 30 years was the only Democrat to represent a typically red-leaning district that spanned the entire southern part of the state.
“He’s very good at connecting and connecting with voters in small towns and rural areas in the Midwest — he’s from here, he’s been there. [representing] As a member of Congress,” said Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. “These are the voters that Democrats need to work with better, the voters that we need to demonstrate that we understand what’s going on in their lives and that we need to work to make their lives better.”
That skill, Smith and others say, is based on Walsh’s service in the Army National Guard — when he was sworn in in 2007, he became the highest-ranking retired sergeant to serve in Congress, a record of his own. The House advocates for veterans’ issues.
“Tim was actually a historic member of Congress,” said former Rep. Patrick Murphy, who represented a district in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before serving as an adviser to the U.S. Army under President Barack Obama. Murphy, a Democrat, entered Congress the same year as Walz, and the two shared a small apartment as freshmen.
“He was my partner in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which authored much of the post-9/11 GI Bill,” Murphy said. “And he was winning [in] A congressional district that Democrats don’t usually win.”
Harris’ current VP short list is stacked with governors as he tries to balance the ticket with votes from outside Washington. Walz built a powerful network of influence in several states during his tenure as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association last year.
But he also has 12 years of congressional experience that could be put to good use in the White House.
“Think what Joe Biden brought to Obama. Actually, all these connections in Washington,” said Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn who defends Harris’ selection of Walz. “He has all the connections with members of Congress, including from the other side.”
Progressive and working class appeal
Minnesota has been consistently Democratic at the state level in recent elections, but this is a Republican-contested seat.
Still, Walz oversaw the enactment of a number of progressive priorities as governor, particularly during his second term, when Democrats controlled both houses of the Legislature.
He signed the laws protection of abortion rights, legalize recreational marijuana, restrict access to guns and to provide legal asylum to transgender youth who are gender-affirming and have limited access to other health care elsewhere.
“He has the progressive credentials to bring home a broader appeal in the Democratic base,” Craig said.
Walz also passed several bills aimed at farmers and the working class, including bills extended paid family leave, the most non-competitive was banned contracts, provided with universal school meals for students, expanded state child care support programs and Minnesota has capped the cost of insulin (three years ago Biden did it domestically).
“If you want to point to examples where Democrats have run successfully, particularly around working-family and economic issues, he has a great story to tell,” said Jeff Blodgett, a St. Paul-based Democratic strategist who served as his campaign manager. for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone and was state director for both Obama campaigns.
Walz “will give some real weight to the ticket in terms of the economic arguments they want to make to voters,” Blodgett said.
Strengthening the “blue wall”.
Of course, the prospect of putting Walz on the ticket with Harris presents some downsides. He is not well-known nationally and may not bring the same youth or energy as other potential running mates.
He’s also not from a battleground state that could have a positive impact on the presidential race, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
But Walz’s allies say he could still help the Democratic ticket in other critical states — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — where many of the same types of voters he won in Minnesota live.
“He’s talking about the farm, the suburbs and the city,” he joked. he called openly Harris will choose Walz.
He and others noted that Walz has no qualms about going on Fox News — even appearing recently he complained From Trump — to reach more conservative voters.
Some Democrats said Walz’s selection of Vance as his running mate could counter Trump’s efforts to make further inroads in the Rust Belt.
“I know people like JD Vance don’t know anything about small-town America,” Walz said on “Morning Joe” Tuesday. “There were 400 people in my town, 24 children and 12 cousins in my graduating class. And he gets it all wrong.”
“It’s not about hate. It’s not about falling down,” he said. “The golden rule there is mind your own damn business.”