- Kamala Harris is running for vice president with Tim Walz.
At the end, there were only two: Kamala Harris, the freshly crowned presidential candidate of the US Democrats, has chosen her running mate: As reported by CNN and the "Washington Post", her choice falls on Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota.
Tim Walz – a surprising choice as Kamala Harris' running mate
With Walz, Harris gains an experienced campaigner by her side who could potentially win over rural votes. The 60-year-old had already served 12 years in Congress before securing the governorship of frostbitten Minnesota in 2018. However, the former soldier and teacher only made it into Harris' shortlist as a late contender. A recent TV appearance on MSNBC went viral in which he repeatedly described the Trump-Vance duo as "weird". The term apparently struck a chord, with Harris promptly adopting it into her campaign vocabulary.
Want to know everything about the US election?
The stern team on the ground keeps you informed every Saturday in the free newsletter "Inside America" about the most important developments and gives insights into how Americans really view their country. After entering your email address, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription. Your data will always be treated confidentially. Nevertheless, Harris' decision to go with Walz is surprising. After all, to make it to the White House, one must win in the "Swing States" – those states that are politically undecided and cannot be clearly assigned to a party. And hardly any state is as volatile as Pennsylvania, whose governor Josh Shapiro was rumored to be in the running for the vice-presidential spot. While Walz's clear statements and charismatic manner could prove useful in the campaign, his Minnesota is not a swing state.
The duo plans to make their first joint appearance in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Immediately afterwards, they will embark on a five-day tour through the swing states.
The role of the US Vice President: between campaign helper and stand-in
It is said that the vice presidency is the second most powerful political office in the US. This is true – at least formally. While the VP is also the president of the Senate, whose vote can be decisive in case of a tie, they are essentially the tie-breaker. However, in most cases, the number two is a rather toothless tiger that presents more than it governs. Unless, of course, the number one drops out for some reason, in which case the stand-in steps in.
Kamala Harris' list of favorites was a real boys' club. This had a simple reason: the so-called "ticket balance". To cover as broad a voter spectrum as possible, the Democrats are opting for a contrasting duo.
Read more soon in the stern.
Despite being a late contender, the choice of Tim Walz as Kamala Harris' running mate brings an experienced campaigner with the potential to win over rural votes. However, Walz's home state of Minnesota is not a swing state, which could pose a challenge in their bid to win in the politically undecided "Swing States" required to reach the White House.
Although Kamala Harris' decision to choose Walz as her running mate is surprising given the importance of swing states, Walz's clear statements and charismatic manner could prove beneficial during their campaign.
