Tim Walz is probably not probably the most recognisable title within the politics of the USA.
However from Tuesday onwards, the Minnesota governor might be a number one determine within the presidential marketing campaign as Vice President Kamala Harris’s Democratic running mate.
Harris, who has secured her occasion’s nomination for the November 5 polls, selected Walz as her VP choose, saying she was “proud” of her selection.
“As a governor, a coach, a instructor, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working households like his. It’s nice to have him on the staff,” Harris posted on X.
Walz mentioned it was the “honour of a lifetime” to be Harris’s vice presidential choose.
“I’m all in. It jogs my memory a little bit of the primary day of faculty. So, let’s get this completed, people!” he posted on X.
If Harris defeats Republican nominee Donald Trump within the November polls, Walz might be a heartbeat away from the US presidency.
Whereas vice presidents’ official duties are restricted, they function potential heirs and companions in governing on the White Home. As operating mates, they’re top surrogates for the marketing campaign.
So who’s Walz and the place does he stand on the problems driving the US election?
Walz, 60, has each govt and legislative experiences.
He was first elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and gained a second time period 4 years later. Regardless of the state not being a standard Democratic stronghold, Walz gained each races with ease.
Previous to his gubernatorial tenure, Walz served within the US Home of Representatives for 12 years, representing a largely rural district in southern Minnesota.
Walz can be a US army veteran, having served within the Military Nationwide Guard for twenty-four years after becoming a member of it on the age of 17. Earlier than operating for Congress, he labored as a college instructor.
On coverage, the governor has been lauded by some progressives for having the ability to advance left-wing priorities in a swing state.
Over the previous six years, Walz has permitted programmes that might cowl faculty tuition for low-income college students, carried out free breakfast and lunch at public faculties, legalised leisure marijuana for adults and expanded protections for staff.
Walz can be seen as a robust defender of abortion rights. Furthermore, he has backed many local weather initiatives, together with a legislation to transition Minnesota to carbon-free electrical energy by 2040.
Whereas Republicans are more likely to argue that Walz’s report is simply too liberal, the governor has not shied away from standing by his insurance policies.
Requested about being labelled a “large authorities liberal”, Walz informed CNN final month, “What a monster! Children are consuming and having full bellies to allow them to go be taught, and girls are making their very own healthcare choices, and we’re a prime 5 enterprise state, and we additionally rank within the prime three in happiness.”
“If that’s the place they need to label me, I’m more than pleased to take the label,” he added.
Jennifer Victor, a political science professor at George Mason College, informed Al Jazeera Walz is an “attention-grabbing selection”, noting that many People might not have heard of him earlier than Tuesday.
Victor mentioned Walz has a relatable “Midwestern vibe”. “It appears that evidently maybe Harris has chosen him for these optimistic attributes that she thinks might make the ticket extra interesting to swing voters,” she mentioned.
She highlighted Walz’s criticism of Republicans as “bizarre”, somewhat than a mortal menace to democracy.
“This was not a line of framing that we had seen Democrats efficiently use in opposition to Republicans up to now, and Walz delivered it in a kind of personable, softer method that I believe simply resonated with extra individuals,” she mentioned.
Past home coverage, the US strategy to the struggle in Gaza and hovering tensions within the Center East is proving to be a outstanding difficulty on this election cycle.
Whereas governors don’t dictate overseas coverage, Walz has expressed help for Israel and ordered the flags at half-staff in solidarity with the US ally after Hamas’s October 7 assault.
Whereas serving in Congress, Walz had additionally taken pro-Israel positions.
“Israel is our truest and closest ally within the area, with a dedication to values of private freedoms and liberties, surrounded by a reasonably robust neighborhood,” he had mentioned in 2010.
However in March, after nearly 19 percent of Democratic voters in Minnesota solid “uncommitted” votes to protest President Joe Biden’s unconditional help for Israel, Walz prompt that he understands the rising frustration with the US strategy.
He mentioned individuals who voted “uncommitted” have “each proper” to be heard.
“These people are asking for a change in course. They’re asking for extra stress to be placed on,” Walz informed MPR Information at the moment.
“Individuals are pissed off, however it bodes nicely for me that they’re actively engaged to exit and solid his vote and ask for change,” he mentioned.