COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Tuesday morning, Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her official running mate to help defeat Republicans Former President Donald Trump and his Vice Presidential pick JD Vance this upcoming November. This unprecedented presidential race is fast-paced with less than a hundred days until the election. Walz has been called an ‘effective communicator’ who could help represent the Democratic party.
Walz took to Twitter to show his joy with the nomination.
“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,” said Walz on Twitter. “So, let’s get this done, folks!”
Walz could bring a diverse perspective to the Democratic ticket ahead of the election. He is a military veteran, and has served six years as a Congressman. Right now he serves as a sitting governor, and he’s been touted a pro-union Democrat. According to Harris, she pointed to his views on helping middle-class families on Instagram. She also recognized his bipartisan infrastructure investments and helping the LGBTQIA community. She also mentioned how he has tried to help cut taxes for blue-collar American families.
“The standard rules for selecting a running mate are that you pick a Senator, or Governor from a swing state, and that narrows it down,” said Political Scientist Justin Buchler from Case Western Reserve University.
Buchler says the political parties usually select their nominees at their convention following a condensed process leading up to the election. But, Buchler says most analysts he has spoken with believe Vice Presidential nominees are almost completely irrelevant. However, there are other aspects to focus on.
“The candidates matter less than most people think,” Buchler said. “Most of what matters in a presidential election are factors like the state of the economy, and that’s already baked into the process.”
Meanwhile, Democratic leaders and delegates in Ohio who will attend the Democratic National Convention are extremely excited with the recent news.
“I think Governor Waltz is a fantastic pick for Vice President Kamala Harris on a number of reasons,” said State Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, (D-Ohio House Assistant Minority Leader)."One, you know, as a governor, he’s, you know, a former football coach, former teacher, national guard member, 24 years in national guard, actually, you know, he’s a gun owner and he wants to make sure that we have done safety rights and the gun safety measures in place. So when you think about a kind of the Midwest, you know, he’s he’s a quintessential person who I think will carry well in terms of the Vice President’s message across the Midwest region. I just believe that he will bring a dynamic level of engagement to the campaign."
“We need people who are fighting for people who are struggling to pay the rent,” said State Rep. Dani Isaacsohn, (D-Ohio House Minority Whip). "Who can’t afford their property taxes, who to keep their homes, for whom child care costs are soaring. Starting a family is it harder than it was. Meanwhile, we need people who will fight to protect reproductive rights in ways that resonate with how people live their lives. And, on all of those issues that matter most to the day-to-day lives of people in Ohio. Gov. Walz and Vice President Harris have built entire careers, decades of not only fighting for those issues, but making huge strides."
However, the Ohio Republican Party is not too fond the pick. The group believes Walz will not be the best leader in the space, and compared him to Democrat Sherrod Brown.
“Just like Sherrod Brown, he has been, and will continue to be, a rubber stamp for Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s radical agenda that has crushed Ohio’s middle-class families. Ohioans continue to vote for Republicans because Democrats continue to make choices like picking Tim Walz – an out-of-touch, far left governor who is not looking out for everyday Americans,” stated Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou.