Kamala Harris reveals pick for running mate ahead of U.S. election
CTV
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the decision.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday, choosing an affable longtime politician who Democrats hope can keep newfound party unity alive in a campaign barreling toward Election Day.
Harris said in a post on social media that Walz has "delivered for working families" as a governor, coach, teacher and veteran. Walz called it "the honour of a lifetime" to be Harris' vice-presidential pick. The two will appear together in Philadelphia at an evening rally.
In choosing the 60-year-old Walz, she is turning to a Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families.
He is joining Harris during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics, promising an unpredictable campaign ahead. Republicans have rallied around former President Donald Trump after his attempted assassination in July. Just weeks later, U.S. President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign, forcing Harris to unify Democrats and consider potential running mates over a breakneck two-week stretch.
Harris hopes to shore up her campaign's standing across the upper Midwest, a critical region in presidential politics that often serves as a buffer for Democrats seeking the White House. The party remains haunted by Trump's wins in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016. Trump lost those states in 2020 but has zeroed in on them as he aims to return to the presidency this year and is expanding his focus to Minnesota.
Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Walz are set to appear together for an evening rally in Philadelphia, recalling a joint 2020 appearance by Biden and Harris in Wilmington, Delaware.
After Tuesday's trip to Pennsylvania, they will spend the next five days flying thousands of miles around the country touring critical battleground states. They'll visit Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit on Wednesday and Phoenix and Las Vegas later in the week.
