KAMALA Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate — and ignored the best person for the job, according to a young Democratic leader.
Harris announced Tuesday that she has chosen Walz as her vice president for the 2024 presidential election, defeating others on the list including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
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Former New York lawmaker Josh Lafazan, who became Nassau County’s youngest lawmaker at age 23 in 2017, spoke to The US Sun about Harris’ decision and revealed that he thought Shapiro would have been the perfect choice for the office.
“I come to this not just as a Democrat, but as a Democrat who represented a Republican district for several years,” Lafazan explained on Monday, before Harris’ decision was announced.
“So I see this question as ‘How can the Democratic Party best expand its voter base before the election?’ And I believe Governor Josh Shapiro is the right candidate to do so.”
The Democrat added that Shapiro was the best choice not only because of his impressive approval rating, but also because of his voter base in Pennsylvania — a swing state that Harris may need in November.
This comes as…
“Of course, my preference for Gov. Josh Shapiro is that Pennsylvania appears to be the complete game in 2024,” Lafazan said.
“Harris could win Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and a few other states and still lose without Pennsylvania.
“Having a governor with a 60% approval rating, again in contemporary politics, is a similar level of admiration to Taylor Swift.
“So your ability to attract crossover voters and win in Pennsylvania, I think, is a question one, two and three of who you choose for the nomination.
“I think he is the best candidate she could present,” added the politician.
SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE VP
However, Harris announced Walz as her pick on Tuesday — to the surprise of many Americans who considered Shapiro the favorite.
Given the insane crescendo of the attacks on Shapiro, I was not surprised to see that he was passed over.”
Josh Lafazan
“I’m really surprised that Josh Shapiro wasn’t the nomination, and I think a lot of Democratic strategists across the spectrum were surprised,” Lafazan said Tuesday.
“Given the importance of those electoral votes, those 19 electoral votes in Pennsylvania.
Who is Governor Tim Walz?
Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate after weeks of chaos for the Democratic Party. Here’s what you should know about your choice.
Democratic politician Walz became Minnesota’s 41st governor in 2019.
The 60-year-old is a retired teacher and former non-commissioned officer in the Army National Guard.
Walz graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2001 and Chadron State College in 1989.
He has been married to his wife and fellow teacher Gwen Walz since 1994.
The pair share two children named Hope and Gus, who were conceived through IVF and fertility treatments, according to the Star Tribune.
Hope graduated from a Montana college, while Gus attends a public school in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Walz was born at West Point, Nebraskain 1964, and grew up in Valentine.
He is known for being punctual and graduated from Butte High School in Butte, Nebraska in 1982.
In 1989, he taught English in China and learned to speak Mandarin.
Walz stopped drinking alcohol after getting a DWI in Nebraska in 1995.
Officers stopped him for going 96 mph in a 55 mph zone, and a breathalyzer test found his blood alcohol concentration was 0.128, according to court records.
After his arrest, he struck a plea deal to have the charges reduced, which was a topic of conversation when he first ran for Congress in 2006.
When state troopers drive Walz around in the state SUV as part of his administration, he sits in the front passenger seat because he gets carsick in the back seats, according to the Star Tribune.
When Walz was 19, his father died of lung cancer.
His mother, Darlene Rose, still lives in Nebraska and sometimes visits her son at the Capitol.
“So the idea that this governor, who has astronomical endorsements in Pennsylvania and who would ideally help sustain the state, would not be the nominee in a really close race… Obviously, this projects the confidence that Kamala Harris’ advisers have in who can win in Pennsylvania. on its own merits.”
The former lawmaker said it’s unlikely Walz will be able to win votes in swing states like Shapiro did.
“If I were in that room, I would say who the vice presidential pick is, who can help deliver votes and win,” Lafazan said of Harris’ vice presidential decision.
“I don’t see data that shows Tim Walz shifting votes in the Midwest. I don’t see any data that shows he moved votes into the column they wouldn’t already have.
“There is significant data that shows Shapiro’s strength in Pennsylvania, and his strength with moderates and his strength with pro-Israel voters would have been a boon for the ticket.”
Who is Josh Shapiro?
Josh Shapiro, 51, is considered the front-runner in Kamala Harris’ search for a running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Shapiro has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023.
Raised in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, he attended the University of Rochester and later earned a law degree in 2002 while working on Capitol Hill.
The Democrat was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2004.
He has maintained a close relationship with former President Barack Obama since he first supported Obama for president in 2007.
He was elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania in 2016.
In 2018, Shapiro released a grand jury report on the Catholic Church scandal that concluded that at least 1,000 children were abused by the Roman Catholic Church.
He first ran for governor in 2021 amid outspoken criticism of former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
He supported Harris for president, along with the other 23 Democratic governors.
Shapiro held a joint rally with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to support Harris’ campaign.
Shapiro, who is Jewish, has four children with his wife, Lori, who was his high school sweetheart.
When asked if Harris made a mistake in choosing Shapiro, Lafazan spoke carefully.
“I can’t speak to the Harris campaign’s analysis of who could do the job better,” he said.
“But I can speak politically and say I don’t believe it was the best political decision.”
‘WE’LL SEE’
Lafazan said presidential hopefuls often have a choice between a “candidate with a stable background” or a vice president who could outshine them when choosing a running mate.
“There were a lot of decisions to be made here, and again, there were a lot of good decisions to be made here,” Lafazan said.
“The question is: was the right decision made?
“And the honest opinion that prevails is that Governor Shapiro was the right election candidate.
“We’ll see if she pays a price in Pennsylvania in November.”
TIGHT RACE
Whether Harris chose Walz or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was also on her list for the job, Lafazan thinks she still has a chance to defeat former President Donald Trump.
“I think the race will be close,” said the Democrat.
“I think it’s a winnable race for both.”
‘CHARACTER MURDER’
Lafazan added that Shapiro was not chosen due to Josh Shapiro’s “systematic, vitriolic, blatant and sustained character assassination.”
“Given the insane crescendo of the attacks on Shapiro, I was not surprised to see that he was passed over,” Lafazan said.
What’s Next When Kamala Harris Picks Running Mate
Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is gearing up for a turbulent week after she officially named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate — just weeks after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
Here’s what’s next for the duo as they kick off the campaign together:
Harris and Walz will appear together at her first campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, August 6.
It will be the first of seven swing states that Harris is expected to travel to over five days — five of which she and Biden turned blue in 2020.
These states include:
- Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Georgia
- Arizona
- North Caroline
- Nevada
The stretch is expected to be one of the heaviest weeks of campaign-related travel this election cycle.
After their week-long tour of the country, Harris and Walz will head to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, August 19-22.
This is where Harris is expected to officially accept the party’s nomination and define exactly where she and her running mate stand on a multitude of issues affecting the American people.
Shapiro has provoked major reactions in recent weeks, particularly due to his stance on Israel in the midst of the war in Gaza and the way he handled the protests that followed.
He publicly supported a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine during a recent press conference.
Shapiro appeared at a rally Tuesday night to support Harris and Walz in the campaign, as he promised he would in his statement congratulating Walz on his vice presidential selection.
“Vice President Kamala Harris has my enthusiastic support – and I know that Governor Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward,” said Shapiro.
“Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen good friends of ours and we are excited for them and the country to meet the great people we know them to be.
“Over the next 92 days, I look forward to traveling across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind Kamala Harris’ campaign to defeat Donald Trump, become the 47th President of the United States, and build a better future for our country.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
