Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as vice president running mate

6 August 2024, 14:04 | Updated: 6 August 2024, 16:25

Kamala Harris has picked Tim Walz as her running mate ahead of November's presidential running, AP reports.

The much-anticipated announcement comes just one day after Harris officially secured the Democratic.

Writing on X, Harris wrote: "I am proud to announce that I've asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate.

"As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his.

"It's great to have him on the team."

Mr Walz added: It is the honor of a lifetime to join @kamalaharris in this campaign. I’m all in.

"Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school."

Walz is a former educator and member of the US Army National Guard.

This decision ends intense speculation over who the Democratic candidate would pick to take on Donald Trump and JD Vance in November.

A Midwestern governor, Walz is known for enacting an ambitious agenda in his state, including abortion reform aid to families.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly were also in the running to be named Harris' VP candidate after the Democratic party threw its support behind her in the wake of Joe Biden's decision to pull out of the race.

Tim Walz has gone viral in recent weeks for branding Donald Trump and JD Vance as "weird".

"He's just a strange, weird dude," Walz branded Trump during a fundraising event.

The Democrats have embraced this line of attack, with it becoming a central part of their campaign against the Republicans.

Unlike Josh Shapiro's Pennsylvania, Minnesota is a comfortable Democrat state, but its proximity to the crucial battlegrounds of Wisconsin and Michigan could help decide the election.

Mr Walz has been branded the most progressive VP in history by some commentators, pointing to his sweeping abortion reform and the decision to provide free school meals at state colleges.

When asked if this could pose a risk to his electability, the Minnesota Gov. joked: "What a monster!

"Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn. Women are making their own healthcare decisions."

Former President Barack Obama took to X following the announcement and said: "Like Vice President Harris, Governor @Tim_Walz believes that government works to serve us.

"Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Gwen, their family, and our country."

Former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has hailed the decision to pick Walz.

"Tim Walz is wonderful, and she had many good choices among the six and certainly among the two - [I'm a] big fan of Governor Shapiro," Pelosi said on Tuesday.

"He's a heartland of America Democrat," she added.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, is more critical of the decision, branding Walz “Dangerously Liberal” and declaring he would "unleash HELL ON EARTH.”

Mr Walz spent around 20 years in the Army National Guard, taught in a high school and has coached football.

He led Minnesota through to 2020 George Floyd protests, calling in the National Guard to quell disorder.