Kamala Harris chooses Tim Walz as vice-presidential pick
US vice-president Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 election.
Walz, 60, has spent the last two weeks on a shortlist, along with fellow Democrats Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, Arizona senator Mark Kelly and Kentucky governor Andy Beshear.
Before entering politics, Walz was a high school teacher, sports coach and union member. He served 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to command sergeant major, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the military.
Walz previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans.
"He has the ability to connect with rural, suburban and urban voters"
The democratic party believes Walz will bring a unifying presence to the ticket, especially in battleground midwestern states such as Wisconsin and Michigan. "He has the ability to connect with rural, suburban and urban voters," said Minnesota Democratic strategist Abou Amara. “He’s not trying to speak in poetry. He speaks in practicality. That’s a level of accessibility for so many voters.”
Harris will introduce Walz as her running mate at a rally on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia.
Minnesota governor Tim Walz and US vice-president Kamala Harris, March 2024 © PHOTO STEPHEN MATUREN / AFP
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