As Vice President Harris weighs her choice for running mate, House Democrats are increasingly championing a former colleague: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
First elected to Congress in 2006, Walz served in the House for 12 years and became the top Democrat on the powerful Veterans Affairs Committee before returning home in 2019 to lead the North Star State.
The amiable Walz was not only popular on Capitol Hill, but also had the distinction of being the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in Congressional history — a status that endeared him to Pentagon supporters in both parties.
That unique resume — combined with his Midwestern roots, liberal political record and fierce defense of the Biden administration in this year’s campaign — made him a leading candidate among a growing list of Democrats on Capitol Hill who say he would be a strong asset. to the Democratic ticket as Harris races to block former President Trump from a second term in the White House.
“My sentimental favorite is Tim Walz,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (Massachusetts), the top Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee. “He was a great member of Congress. People I know in Minnesota tell me he’s a great governor… But most importantly, he’s a great guy. He’s down to earth, he’s real, there’s nothing fake about him, and he calls it like he sees it, and tells it like it is, and I appreciate the frankness.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also highlighted Walz as a particularly attractive vice presidential pick. She pointed to Walz’s record supporting unions and working families as a key reason for his support.
“I want someone who is strongly pro-labor and who understands labor, because this is a big part of the working-class agenda and ensures that we win working-class votes,” Jayapal said.
“I want someone who is fully committed to the agenda that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris fought for… and so I think it should be someone who is really good in some of our Midwestern states. So make sure you win in Wisconsin, Ohio – some of those places. And that brings me to — I really like Governor Walz,” she continued. “I like the things he was able to do. I like that he’s from a rural town; I like that he has a military background.
“So he would be a great choice.”
Even former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appears to be leaning in favor of Walz. A source familiar with the California Democrat’s thinking told The Hill “she’s always been especially fond of former House colleagues” when asked about Harris’ running mate, a nod to Walz.
The buzz around Walz comes as Harris’s running mates approach the final stretch, with the vice president expected to announce her running mate in the coming days. The ticket will travel to seven key battleground states next week, beginning the journey with a stop in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Walz’s name has been mentioned as being on Harris’ list, in addition to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shaprio, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, among others.
Democrats certainly think their bench is deep, and many have said they would be excited about any of these options — “There’s no bad choice, they’re all very good,” McGovern said — but House members have made a particular affinity for the one they know best.
“The other person [Democrats are interested in] it’s our former colleague Tim Walz who we know very well,” said Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), chair of the New Democratic Coalition. “He was my chairman when I was on the Veterans Affairs Committee when I was a new member of Congress. An incredibly nice guy, very well regarded in the House and Senate and then among the governors.”
Walz, who currently chairs the Democratic Governors Association, has blazed his own trail on Capitol Hill, bucking Democratic colleagues on some high-profile issues and giving a voice to centrist voters who he said have been neglected even by his own party.
He was furious in 2014, for example, when party leaders — including Pelosi — used shady procedural tactics to block his initial candidacy for Veterans Affairs ranking member. Two years later, he openly criticized his Democratic colleagues when they chose a heavily coastal-leaning leadership team, warning that a lack of regional diversity would alienate Midwesterners like those he represented. And while other Democrats fiercely defended ObamaCare from GOP attacks, Walz recognizedthe “warts” that dog the massive healthcare law – and promised not to cover them up in negotiations with district voters.
“I can’t do this,” he said at the time, “because it’s disappointing my voters in so many ways.”
But Walz was also a genial team player, who championed a number of traditionally liberal programs — including a minimum wage increase and stem cell research — and stuck his neck out to support other controversial Democratic efforts, including Obama’s nuclear deal with the Iran.
Walz’s folksy ways combined with his long military background won him the favor of lawmakers from both parties. That endorsement helped propel Walz to the top Democratic seat on the Veterans Affairs panel in 2017, and it also gave him a degree of gravitas as he roams the cable news circuit this summer to attack Trump and his running mate, the Senator JD Vance. (R-Ohio), for his “weird” political agenda and his claims that only Republicans support Second Amendment rights.
“That’s JD Vance’s trick: talking about guns. I guarantee you he can’t shoot pheasants like I can,” Walz told Anderson Cooper this week on CNN. He quickly added that he supports certain limits on firearms to combat the epidemic of gun violence in America.
Some Democrats say his military service could be pivotal to the party.
“He has very good ties to the veteran community and is respected, even in conservative circles,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). “He was someone respected by the VFW and the American Legion, and I’m sure he still is. And that capacity, that kind of reach, is also a real added value.”
House Democrats also praised the other vice presidential candidates. They cite Shapiro’s strong approval rating in Pennsylvania, a key swing state; Buttigieg’s appeal in the Midwest and his televised diplomatic messages; and Kelly’s experience as an astronaut, marriage to former congresswoman and gun control activist Gabby Giffords and his recent victory in Arizona, another swing state.
“There are a lot of good options out there,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.).
“I think there’s an argument for all of them,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) echoed of those being considered for the second spot. “They all represent the shift back to normalcy and the forward-looking vision that Harris has presented around our democracy, our freedom and our democracy. Tim happens to be one of my favorites.
As the party and the country await Harris’ announcement, some Democrats said the final deciding factor should be simple and pragmatic: Does the selection help the party win the White House in November?
“It’s a matter of math, math, math – election math,” Connolly said. “Synergy is important, but if someone is unable to bring any electoral strength to the ticket, that is a risk we cannot take.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
