Gov. Tim Walz appears at Minneapolis fundraiser for Kamala Harris ahead of her vice president announcement

Gov. Tim Walz rallied Democrats at a private Minneapolis fundraiser for presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on Monday as she prepared to announce whether he — or someone else — will run alongside her on the November ballot.

Walz didn’t address whether he was still in the running for vice president in his speech, but he praised Harris as someone who has brought energy and laughter back into politics after former President Donald Trump “stole our joy.”

“We’ve got an opportunity in front of us, we’ve got a chance to spread joy, we’ve got a chance to put an end to the division in this country and we have an opportunity to bring folks back in,” Walz told the crowd.

Harris’ campaign is expected to announce her running mate sometime before a Tuesday evening rally in Philadelphia, where she will kick off a tour of battleground states with her new running mate, including an event in Eau Claire, Wis., on Wednesday.

Walz canceled other planned campaign stops in New Hampshire on Sunday and reportedly flew to Washington, D.C., where Harris was conducting final interviews for her vice presidential nominee with a shortlist of candidates. Along with Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly were also reportedly on the list of finalists interviewed over the weekend.

Some attendees at Monday’s fundraiser wore blue T-shirts supporting Walz for vice president that said “don’t be weird,” referencing his line of attack against the Republican ticket that has reframed Democratic messaging in recent weeks.

“It wasn’t a slur to call these guys weird, it was an observation,” he told the crowd. “No one is asking to raise the price of insulin, nobody is asking to not fund Social Security. No one is sitting in a bar saying, ‘You know what we really need to do in this country? We need to ban ‘Animal Farm.’”

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin and Minnesota U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith also rallied on behalf of Harris. Klobuchar praised Walz, who she has endorsed for vice president.

“Tim’s been in the news,” Klobuchar told the crowd. “The country and the world is seeing the guy that we have loved so much. They are seeing someone who came from humble roots, worked his way up as a teacher, as a veteran who served our country in every way possible.”

The fundraiser in Minneapolis is one of several Walz has headlined for Harris in recent days. Last week he appeared at a fundraiser at Urban Growler in St. Paul, which was attended by as many as 200 guests. Tickets ranged from $150 to $2,500 and the invite included a who’s who of Democratic operatives in the state.

The fundraisers could be an opportunity to show off Walz’s money-raising capabilities and connections as he auditions for vice president.

“Media and money are key elements of veepstakes auditions; who can praise and who can raise,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, a former presidential candidate who’s backing Walz for VP.

Walz’s name quickly rose to the top of Harris’ shortlist for her running mate after Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21. Since then, he has appeared almost daily on cable news networks on behalf of Harris.

In his appearances, Walz has also woven in details of his life as a high school geography teacher, military veteran and football coach who represented a largely rural district in Congress for a dozen years, a contrast to Harris’ résumé as a former attorney general and U.S. Senator from California.

Walz has been coy about whether he’s being vetted by Harris for vice president. At a news conference last week, he said the attention has been surreal.

“I don’t know if every high school geography teacher expects to be in this position at some point,” he said, adding: “That’s a decision that needs to be made by the vice president and she will make it on what she sees. I am who I am.”