Prominent Minnesota Dems mostly backing Gov. Tim Walz for Kamala Harris’ VP pick

Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of running mate could come as early as next week, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is reportedly in the mix as he makes the national media rounds in what has all the appearances of an audition.

As the likely Democratic presidential nominee finalizes her pick, Minnesota’s four U.S. House Democrats, progressives and moderates alike, have united behind Walz as their top choice. They cite his past experience in Congress, his military experience and his time governing Minnesota as major selling points.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Friday evening that she also supports Walz as VP. Though Sen. Tina Smith is praising Walz, she is stopping short of a full endorsement, making her the lone Democrat in the delegation who is leaving the door open to the possibility of other VP contenders.

“I think [Harris] would be very well served by selecting Tim Walz, a man with both legislative and executive experience, of course as a congressman and a governor of Minnesota,” said Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents western Hennepin County suburbs. “Someone who hails kind of from the heartland, who understands rural Americans and is folksy and authentic and tough and smart. And I would be thrilled to see her make that choice.”

Rep. Angie Craig, a moderate Democrat and the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the U.S. House from Minnesota, said she has long respected Walz for his support of same-sex marriage years ahead of many other high-profile Democrats. She also mentioned his record of election success in greater Minnesota and smaller communities where Democrats have struggled in recent years. Craig said she thinks that positions Walz to help Harris resonate with base and swing voters in November.

Craig said that Walz “could help that ticket win in places that are purple and pink” — political shorthand for regions that lie on the spectrum between blue Democratic areas and red Republican areas. It describes Craig’s Second Congressional District, which covers suburban, exurban and rural turf southeast of the Twin Cities.

Walz ousted longtime former GOP Rep. Gil Gutknecht in 2006 and represented southern Minnesota’s First District for six terms in Congress, claiming the mantle of a moderate during that time. Walz shifted to run for governor in 2018, and his former House seat is held by a Republican again.

As governor, Walz has notched a number of progressive wins as the de facto head of a Democratic Party that controls the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature. The progressive agenda during that time is being passed around now as Democrats debate Harris’ VP choice.

Under Walz’s watch, Minnesota has become a “refuge” of abortion protections and gender affirming care, restored voting rights to more than 55,000 formerly incarcerated Minnesotans and expanded paid family and medical leave and workers’ protections.

This week, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Walz is her choice for VP. Jayapal said she likes “the things that he’s been able to do,” that he’s from a “rural town” and has a military background.

When asked about another potential vice presidential contender, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Jayapal said she does not see “how you can put somebody in that does not have a strong pro-labor record.”

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, another progressive, was the first Democrat in the Minnesota delegation who said Walz should be Harris’ running mate. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, deputy chair of the Progressive Caucus, also said Walz is her top choice.

“I do believe that Gov. Tim Walz has all of the qualities that the vice president needs to balance out the ticket. He’s a veteran, a teachers union member and obviously somebody that would be exciting in many ways,” Omar said.

Though Klobuchar supports Walz, she said she wants Harris to make her own choice.

“Tim Walz would be a great vice president and I’d love to see him on the ticket. While he’s my top choice, ultimately it’s up to Vice President Harris,” said the senior senator via a spokesperson. She’s not interested in the vice presidential spot because she’s focused on her Senate campaign this year.

Smith said she is leaving the decision up to the vice president.

Harris “has a really important decision to make and I’m sure that she’s going to make the very best decision,” Smith said. “I don’t have a favorite or a pick. I obviously have very high regard for Governor Walz; I think that he would make an excellent selection. One of the benefits that we have in our party right now is we have a very deep bench of leaders who are ready and able to be vice president.”