2024-08-07 01:19:39
Walz, 60, is a former U.S. Army National Guard soldier and former teacher who has emerged as an active advocate for Harris in recent weeks. Volz’s base includes white rural voters, but he has also supported progressive policies such as free school meals as governor. While Minnesota has strong Democratic support, the state is close to two swing states, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Harris initially considered nearly a dozen candidates before settling on just a handful of serious applicants, all of whom were white men. By choosing Volz, she has chosen a partner who has proven himself to be a defender of the interests of Democrats.
Walz has publicly been a strong defender of Harris in her campaign against Donald Trump, calling Republicans “just weird” in an interview last month. Democrats have taken that message and amplified it ever since.
At a Harris fundraiser in Minneapolis on Monday, Walz said, “It wasn’t an insult to call these guys weird. It was an observation.”
He won the first of six terms in Congress in 2006, representing a rural district in southern Minnesota, and used that position to champion veterans’ issues. Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard.
He ran for governor in 2018 on the theme of “One Minnesota” and won by more than 11 points.
2024-08-07 01:19:39