Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as running mate

Written by Zainab Bakare

Vice President Kamala Haris, the Democratic candidate for president in the 2024 election, chose her running mate today: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, according to several sources and media outlets.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was floated as a possible vice presidential candidate almost immediately after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, following a bad performance at a June debate with former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for president this year.

Walz, is a Midwesterner, a teacher and high school football coach before getting into politics, a resume that could stand out in a field of lawyers and politicians.

Some GOP operatives note that Walz could face new questions about his handling of the riots that erupted after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At the time, he called the response to the riots an “abject failure,” a toxic quote that could blow up in his face.

A poll in late July from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that several of the top potential contenders for the role were largely unknown to voters. Kelly, married to former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, a shooting survivor, had more name recognition and higher favorability. Others, including Shapiro, were less known nationally but were believed to be able to pull more Democratic voters from their state or region.

Edited by Julian Osamoto