Gov. Tim Walz at a news conference in July. On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Walz as her running mate in November’s presidential election. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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The speculation is over. Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’ pick to be her running mate.

So what do Minnesotans think? In the days since the governor’s name first surfaced as a potential vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket, Minnesotans on both sides of the aisle have weighed in through several commentaries published in the Star Tribune’s Opinion pages. Here’s a quick recap:

Steven Schier, emeritus political science professor at Carleton College in Northfield, immediately laid out the pros and cons of Walz being on the ticket (tinyurl.com/walz-schier). On the positive side: “Walz is a proven vote-getter and popular governor in what may be a swing state in the presidential election,” he wrote. On the negative side: “Tim who? Walz does not have a high national profile, and raising that low profile will add to the challenges for a presidential campaign on a tight schedule.” Though to be fair, Schier wrote his article before Walz went viral with his “weird” comment.
Over the weekend, Twin Cities media personality Sheletta Brundidge explained why she thinks Walz would be a good VP, noting that he has a proven track record of supporting Black women and women of color. (tinyurl.com/walz-brundidge). “As a Black woman, I can vouch for the white man from Minnesota. Tim Walz knows how to go ten toes in for Black women, and in the words of that great American prophet LL Cool J, he’s doing it well,” she wrote.
On the other side, John Phelan and Bill Walsh from the conservative-leaning Center of the American Experiment pointed out what they see as many of Walz’s weaknesses, listing off items including his slow response to the riots following the murder of George Floyd and how he used the state’s budget surplus (tinyurl.com/walz-cae). “Now that we think of it, promoting Tim Walz could be a really good idea. He couldn’t possibly do more harm to Minnesota in the relatively meaningless job of vice president,” they wrote.
And media strategist and political analyst Blois Olson noted that Walz can be defensive when challenged (tinyurl.com/walz-olson). “Walz may do well on cable TV — but how will he do with a constant traveling national press corps — who ask follow-up questions? In Minnesota he doesn’t take tough questions or critiques well,” he wrote.

So what do you think? Have you met Walz in person, and if so, what was your impression? Has your opinion of him changed during his time in office? If he’s part of the winning ticket, he would be just a heartbeat away from the presidency. What do you see as his strengths and weaknesses in potentially assuming that role? How do you think him being on the ticket will impact Minnesota as a state?

We in Star Tribune Opinion would love to hear your thoughts about any or all of it. As always, our inbox is open for business. Write us a letter to the editor or a commentary. You can submit it at tinyurl.com/st-submit or email it to us at opinion@startribune.com. We’re especially interested in new and fresh takes. Show us what you’ve got!