The Impact of Progressives: The Implications of Harris Choosing the Minnesota Governor as Her Running Mate
Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, announced on August 6, 2024, that she has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the upcoming presidential election on November 5, 2024. This announcement followed President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race after his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump on June 27, 2024.
This selection was made after Harris secured the votes of the Democratic delegates for her nomination and ahead of the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August 9-12, 2024, in Chicago, where the party will officially nominate Harris and Walz to represent them in the presidential election. With Walz as her vice-presidential pick, Harris leads the first major party ticket with a woman of color at the top and a white man as her running mate.
Multiple Reasons
Kamala Harris’s decision to choose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential candidate for the November 5, 2024 election is driven by several factors:
Progressive Pressure Against Selecting Shapiro: The progressive wing within the Democratic Party pressured Vice President Kamala Harris not to choose Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate. Although selecting Shapiro could have provided electoral advantages for the Democratic ticket due to his highly conservative positions on key issues in the U.S. presidential election, there were growing concerns within the Democratic Party about his alignment with the party’s progressive values. Additionally, Shapiro’s controversial stances on Palestinians and the Israeli war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, raised fears that choosing him could alienate Arab and Muslim American voters, as well as the progressive faction opposing President Biden’s policies regarding Israel’s ongoing military operations in Palestinian territories.
Support from Democratic Leaders for Walz: In contrast to the pressure from the progressive wing against choosing Shapiro, there was significant support from senior Democratic leaders and the progressive faction for selecting Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Walz enjoys backing from progressive groups and donors due to his policies that align more closely with the party’s progressive values. Reports indicated that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi favored Walz, as she often supports her former House colleagues for high political positions. Walz served six terms in the House of Representatives. Senator Bernie Sanders also backed Walz for his alignment with progressive ideas, and several Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate endorsed Walz for the vice-presidential position alongside Harris.
Appealing to Progressive Voters in the Presidential Election: Harris’s choice of the Minnesota Governor as her running mate reflects her effort to attract the progressive vote in the upcoming presidential election. Progressive support for President Joe Biden’s second-term candidacy had declined due to his positions on the Israeli war in Gaza, his advanced age, and the associated decline in his health and mental capabilities. Walz’s support for many progressive policies, such as workers’ rights, social justice, minority rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, paid leave, abortion rights, and gun control, aligns him with the progressive agenda within the party, motivating these voters to support the Democratic ticket on November 5.
Enhancing Harris’s Electoral Prospects in Key Swing States: Swing states play a crucial role in determining the winner of the U.S. presidential election, and Walz is believed to be beneficial for the Democratic ticket in critical states like Wisconsin and Michigan, where he enjoys widespread recognition. Walz’s support for collective action and organized labor helps attract working-class voters in northern industrial states. As Governor of Minnesota, Walz signed a comprehensive set of pro-labor laws, including a paid family leave bill that provides workers with partial wages for 12 weeks to care for a newborn or sick family member, plus an additional 12 weeks for recovery from a serious illness. Walz also signed a law banning non-compete clauses in employment contracts, which has garnered support from union leaders and advocates of pro-worker, family, and childcare policies, bolstering his selection as Harris’s running mate.
Walz, a popular two-term governor from the Midwest, could boost Harris’s appeal among rural voters, especially in critical swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, which were essential to President Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Walz, a Nebraska native with rural roots, is likely to campaign on winning back white working-class voters who have drifted away from the Democratic Party in recent years.
Walz’s Executive Experience Strengthens His Ability to Tackle Challenges: As the Governor of Minnesota since 2019, Walz has gained executive experience and demonstrated his ability to effectively address issues important to American voters on a national level and make tough decisions. His tenure as governor has been marked by significant achievements in healthcare, education, and economic development. His selection as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate adds a wealth of experience and a strong political record to the party’s ticket in the upcoming presidential election.
Alignment of Views Between Harris and Walz: There is a strong alignment of views between the Democratic presidential candidates, particularly in Walz’s robust support for many progressive policies such as workers’ rights and social policies that Vice President Harris also champions. This alignment is expected to create harmony between the candidates on the party’s ticket and agreement on administration policies should they win the election on November 5, 2024.
Estimates suggest that the economic policies Walz advocated as governor, including state-level child tax relief and a paid leave program, are policies that a Harris administration would attempt to enact on a national scale after winning the election.
Potential Implications
Despite the many positive implications of Kamala Harris’s selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the November 5 election, it also carries some potential consequences:
Raising Walz’s National Profile: Walz was not well-known nationally before his name appeared on the shortlist of Democratic candidates, which included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, for Harris’s vice-presidential pick. However, he gained some recognition outside his state in recent weeks following television interviews in which he criticized Republican candidate Donald Trump, his running mate J.D. Vance, and Republicans, calling them “weird” during appearances on news channels—a term that gained wide traction on social media.
Republican Criticism of Walz’s Record as Minnesota Governor: Republicans criticize Walz for his slow response in deploying the National Guard to deal with the riots that began after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. The riots caused significant damage, including setting fire to a police precinct. Walz deployed hundreds of National Guard troops three days after Floyd’s death as looting and arson spread. Additionally, Walz’s record includes a Minnesota law requiring the state’s utilities to transition to carbon-free electricity by 2040, a law expanding voting rights for convicted felons, and efforts to expand eligibility for illegal immigrants to receive health insurance and in-state tuition.
Amplifying Republican Attacks Against Harris and Her Running Mate: By choosing Minnesota Governor Walz as her running mate, the Republican Party has framed its attack on Harris as a “radical leftist” who would lead the most liberal presidential ticket in history. With Biden’s withdrawal from the race and Harris’s candidacy, Republicans quickly labeled Harris as a “radical leftist.” Some Republicans have stated that their criticisms of Harris became easier with her choice of Walz, who supported laws restricting gun access, promoting green energy, and providing taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants.
In conclusion: Vice President Kamala Harris’s election campaign, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, which caused a rift within the Democratic Party, has focused on restoring party alignment to enhance her chances of winning the nomination before the party’s national convention on August 9, 2024. Harris’s choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the upcoming presidential election offers her many electoral advantages, broadening her voter base while addressing criticisms of her campaign and achieving balance on the Democratic Party ticket. This strengthens her chances in the upcoming election on November 5. By selecting Walz, Harris has balanced the Democratic Party and garnered broad support among Democratic voters and in many swing states, making him a valuable addition to the Democratic ticket in the upcoming presidential election.
