On Tuesday 6 August, Vice President and the Democratic Party’s nominee for the presidential election, Kamala Harris, announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential choice. Rubrick Biegon looks at what Walz adds to Harris’ presidential bid, writing that not only does he have no obvious downsides, but his ‘heartland’ demeanour, rural appeal and progressive credentials are likely to prove popular with key factions of the Democratic Party’s coalition.

A longshot to be Kamala Harris’ running mate just a few weeks ago, the selection of the current Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her vice-presidential pick brings balance to a ticket that, if successful, would see the first woman elected as president of the United States. Midway through his second four-year term as Minnesota governor, Walz enjoys a reputation as an adept executive. He remains popular in his home state, with approval ratings steadily above 50 percent.

Much of the commentary on Walz so far has focused on his military service and experience as an educator, and the fact that his inclusion on the ticket does not endanger the Democratic Party’s very slim majority in the US Senate. Until recently, he was not well-known at the national level. This low name recognition means he is open to being defined by the Harris and Trump campaigns and their surrogates.

Beyond the superficial contrast with Harris in terms of his gender and race, what does Walz add to her presidential bid? Perhaps most importantly, he presents no obvious downsides. Additionally, however, his background and record will complement the top of the ticket in several ways.

Regional appeal

Although Minnesota has been a fringe swing state in recent presidential elections, it hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972. No Republican has won statewide office in Minnesota since 2006, when Tim Pawlenty narrowly won re-election for governor. Adding Walz to the ticket probably puts the state out of reach for Trump. While neighbouring Iowa has moved firmly into the Republican camp during the Trump era, Wisconsin and Michigan, two other Midwestern states, remain very much in play. Harris is unlikely to win the White House without a strong showing in the ‘frostbelt’, the northern region spanning the wider Great Lakes area.

Walz’s public demeanour blends a plain, everyman appeal with a warm, folksy charm that seems tailor-made for audiences in the country’s self-proclaimed ‘heartland’. His ‘Midwestern dad’ vibes suggest a soft populism like Biden’s ‘Scranton Joe’ persona. The effectiveness of Walz’s much-discussed critique of Trump and J. D. Vance as ‘weird’ stemmed from a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact presentation that will resonate with many voters in the region. Walz’s comfort in projecting a casual normalcy may heighten the differences with Vance in particular, who, as a key figure in the nationalist New Right, can come across as esoteric and overly intellectual. Walz is the first person without a law degree to appear on a Democratic presidential ticket since Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Connecting with rural voters

Democrats have struggled to connect with rural voters in recent elections. This trend is clearly evident in the shifting politics of Minnesota, which has seen a growing divide between the core metropolitan area (the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, home to approximately 60 percent of the state’s population) and the outlying areas known locally as ‘greater Minnesota’. Although Walz owes his statewide victories to his strong margins in the Twin Cities, he has done slightly better than other Democratic politicians outside the metro region. Trump is expected to win rural voters by a wide margin nationally, but the Harris team no doubt hopes that Walz’s inclusion will help limit the damage.

“” (Public Domain) by Office of Governor Walz & Lt. Governor Flanagan

Before becoming governor, Walz represented a mostly rural constituency in the US House of Representatives. Minnesota’s First Congressional District cuts across the southern and heavily agricultural part of the state and includes the small cites of Mankato (where Walz worked as a teacher and football coach) and Rochester (home to the original Mayo Clinic medical centre). It is currently represented by a Republican, Brad Finstad. Walz, who grew up in a small town in Nebraska, often ran ahead of other Democrats in his district and outperformed the national environment. His social media profile reminds voters that he is an avid hunter and long-time gun owner. His frank communication style is also viewed as part of his appeal to rural voters, though this may speak more to the stereotypes of media pundits than any meaningful political realities across the country’s stark urban-rural divide.

Shoring up the progressive vote

In Minnesota, Walz has long been regarded as a relatively moderate politician, due in part to the composition of the Congressional district he represented for twelve years (2006-2018). In the House of Representatives, he was a strong supporter of gun rights, earing high marks from the National Rifle Association (NRA). As governor, he green-lit a controversial pipeline project opposed by environmentalists and Native American activists. Much like J. D. Vance, Walz’s politics have evolved, though not as dramatically as his vice-presidential counterpart on the Republican side. In the context of the other names on Harris’ shortlist, such as Senator Mark Kelly (Arizona) and Governors Josh Shapiro (Penslyvnia) and Andy Beshear (Kentucky), Walz appeared to have greater support from the party’s progressive base.

With Democrats in charge of both houses of Minnesota’s state legislature, Walz has gradually tacked to the left. He shepherded into law a series of progressive policies on abortion, voting rights, education, and social services. He signed bills expanding paid family and medical leave and legalising recreational marijuana. Early in the veepstakes, Walz gained the backing of key labor unions, including the influential United Auto Workers (UAW). In October 2023, Walz joined a UAW picket line in Plymouth, Minnesota. National unions praised the pick soon after it was announced. If Harris wins, Walz’s lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, would become the first Native American woman to be the executive of a US state.

Ultimately, Walz represents a practical, low-risk choice for Harris. It remains to be seen whether his rural, Midwestern roots will move the needle in the Democrats’ direction this November. What does seem clear is that Walz will prove popular with key factions of the party’s coalition, with the potential to draw in voters not already in the party’s core base. 

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