In a significant development for the upcoming presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota, known for legislation introduced to protect trans people, as her running mate. This selection is seen as a strategic move to attract progressive voters, given Walz's record of enacting liberal policies during his tenure as governor.
Tim Walz, who has served as Minnesota’s governor since 2019 following a twelve-year stint in the House of Representatives, has garnered the support of many in the Democratic party, particularly among progressive circles. Under his leadership, Minnesota has seen the implementation of a series of ambitious and progressive policies, such as free college tuition for low-income students, free meals for schoolchildren, and the legalization of recreational marijuana. Additionally, Walz has enacted protections for transgender individuals and signed a bill ensuring the right to make autonomous decisions regarding reproductive health, including abortion and contraception.
Despite his progressive policy achievements earning him a 55% approval rating among Minnesotans, Walz has also faced substantial criticism, particularly from Republicans. They accuse him of a hard left turn, transforming from the bipartisan approach that marked his earlier political career representing a divided district in Congress into what they describe as “big-government liberalism.”
Most notably, Walz’s handling of the George Floyd protests in May 2020 has been a point of contention. Following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, the city erupted in unrest, including the burning of a police station. Walz criticized the local response as an “abject failure” and later took state control of the situation. While he insisted that he followed protocol in waiting for city leaders to request assistance before deploying the National Guard, critics argued his measures were insufficient and delayed. Paul Gazelka, the Republican state senate majority leader at the time, branded the situation as “a failure in leadership,” placing the responsibility squarely on Walz.
On the campaign trail, Walz has deployed an attack line against Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, dubbing them as "weird". This tactic has resonated within Democratic circles, being echoed by other party leaders including Harris. This term seemed to have struck a nerve with Trump, who responded by labeling Harris "the weird one," while denying the label applied to him or Vance.