Gov. Tim Walz backs Kamala Harris, as vice presidential speculation grows

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who on Monday morning endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination, has landed on the list of names being floated as her vice presidential nominee.

Walz endorsed Harris for president in a post on X, thanking her for a call and pledging his “full support.”

“Let’s go win this thing,” he wrote.

Other possible running mates from a handful of battleground states are seen as more likely picks to run with Harris. But, as the smoke clears from President Joe Biden’s weekend decision to leave the race, Walz’s rising national profile has put him in the discussion as the party scrambles to put together a unifying ticket ahead of the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago.

Prominent Democrats in Minnesota and across the country quickly rallied around Harris following Biden’s announcement, which also saw him endorse Harris as his successor. While other Democrats could still challenge Harris as the nominee, much of the party’s leadership is lining up behind her, and attention has quickly shifted to who she’ll pick to join her on the ticket.

Democratic governors top the list of names mentioned most frequently by donors and pundits. That includes Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state, as well as Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, states that voted for Donald Trump but also sent Democrats to the governor’s office.

Those candidates, along with Walz, could provide demographic and geographic balance to a ticket with Harris, a Black woman and a former attorney general and U.S. senator from California. Governors also come with executive experience that could appeal to Harris.

“She’s probably going to want someone who has established credentials. She was a senator, you might think of Walz as balancing that out as a state governor,” said Kevin Parsneau, a political science professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Also reported to be on the list of potential candidates are California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took herself out of the mix on Monday.

The hunt for a running mate will be condensed from the typical few months to just days or weeks, said Brian McClung, who worked for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty when he was considered as a vice presidential possibility in 2008 and 2012.

“Ordinarily it’s a deep dive into anything a potential candidate has ever said or done,” McClung said. “It’s very intensive. They’re going to need to do several months worth of record compiling and analysis in probably a few days. They really want to know everything so there are no surprises going forward.”

With governors, much of the vetting is done in previous campaigns and years of service, McClung added.

Walz’s profile has been rising nationally since he became chair of the Democratic Governors Association, a role that makes him the fundraising and campaign face helping to elect governors in 11 states this fall. As a Biden campaign surrogate for months, he’s frequented cable news shows and traveled across the country to promote the president’s record.

A veteran and former teacher who represented a conservative southern Minnesota district in Congress for a dozen years, Walz has earned a reputation as a more progressive Democrat as governor. He signed a historic number of Democratic priorities into law in 2023 with a one-vote DFL majority in the Legislature.

“When I travel, a lot of states like what we’re doing here and I think that idea that we could do that in other places would be great,” Walz said Monday on MPR News, signaling openness to conversations about being the vice presidential nominee.

“If I thought there was something that I could bring to the ticket and make a difference, especially in those states we need to win, I’m certainly listening,” Walz said.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota, in calling for Biden to leave the race last week, endorsed a Harris-Walz ticket, arguing Harris will need a “strong Midwestern running mate.” A Wall Street Journal reporter posted on X Monday night that Walz was among a group of governors that the Harris campaign asked for vetting materials.

Several national forecasters shifted Minnesota to potentially more favorable to Republicans following Biden’s debate performance, but the state hasn’t voted for a Republican for president since 1972 and is still not seen as a top-tier target for the party this fall.

Walz’s broader strength with labor unions and Midwestern voters in rural areas could have appeal for Harris, said Cindy Rugeley, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Meanwhile, a candidate like Cooper in North Carolina or Kelly in Arizona could help deliver states where Trump had been polling ahead.

“She’s being pragmatic. She wants somebody who can do the job if anything should happen to her. She’s also looking at winning and she’s maybe looking to expand the map with this choice,” Rugeley said.

The personal relationship between the two candidates is also crucial, McClung said.

“When you’re going to be thrown into the mix with about 100 days left in the election, having somebody that you are on the same page with, that you trust and respect” is important, he said.

As co-chair of the rules committee for the convention, Walz will be at the center of conversations going forward no matter what. He’ll help determine how the nomination process proceeds without Biden.

Even if Walz is not near the top of the vice president short list now, McClung said a lot can change over the course of conversations with candidates, party leaders and donors. Pawlenty wasn’t initially high on the list in 2008, but ended up as the runner-up behind former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“Clearly Democrats are going to need to perform in Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania,” McClung said. “Someone with Midwestern roots who understands what the economy is like in those states could have a lot of appeal to the Harris campaign.”