Tim Walz: the governor increasing Kamala Harris’s appeal

Two years later, he decided to run for a seat in the House of Representatives for the First Congressional District in southern Minnesota. This is a largely rural district where Walz grew up as the child of German and Swedish parents who practised Catholicism, a faith Walz eventually left for Protestantism in the Lutheran Church.

He achieved a surprising victory against his Republican opponent, then won re-election five times over ten years. In 2018, he ran for the governorship of Minnesota against Republican Jeff Johnson, and won another victory in 2022, retaining his position as governor.

During his first term, his state drew international attention when a white police officer killed unarmed Black man George Floyd while restraining him on the ground, ignoring Floyd's pleas for air so he could breathe. This triggered a wave of protests against police brutality towards Black people.

Walz received much praise, and some criticism, for his handling of the crisis. He deployed the National Guard to stop the looting and rioting, yet supported the state's prosecution of the officer for murder. He got a 22-year prison sentence, and the police sector was reformed.

Ticking the right boxes

Walz weakens Trump's chances among important voter groups, such as rural voters and moderate white voters. Walz's personality and track record align well with the values of white voters in general, a group that mostly voted for Trump in 2016 (54%) and 2020 (58% versus 41% for Joe Biden).

Walz's self-description encapsulates the electoral appeal he represents for many white voters. "I am a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner," he says. "But I am also a father, and for many years, I was a teacher. I know that basic safety rules related to gun use are not a threat to my rights. It is about keeping our children safe."

Walz represents important values to white Americans, especially his teaching service, his 20 years' service in the armed forces, and his support for gun ownership as a fundamental constitutional right.

The latter is balanced by the need to adhere to safety rules in gun use, not by bans as some Democratic hardliners advocate. He also insists on placing the entire issue in its proper context, prioritising the safety of children.

As a former member of the House of Representatives for consecutive terms (from 2006-18) before becoming Minnesota's governor, Walz's background will help Harris attract rural voters, who mostly voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020. He grew up in a rural environment and shares many of rural voters' concerns.

During his 12 years in the House of Representatives, Walz represented the First Congressional District in southern Minnesota and successfully, supporting small farming businesses and championing the concerns of its residents such as environmental defence, advocating for clean energy, and the right to bear arms.

Walz is a rare Democrat endorsed by the powerful and traditionally Republican-aligned National Rifle Association, although this backing has tapered in recent years due to his support for measures related to background checks on gun buyers.

Filling in the gaps

Roughly one in five US voters live in rural areas and they are statistically more likely to vote in presidential elections than urbanites. More important, rural voters tend to live in swing states like Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. These are key in determining the result.

In this way and others, some of the gaps and doubts about Harris as a potential president are filled and allayed by Walz, making their joint ticket a more complete and reassuring option for Americans on various levels, including gender, ethnicity, and political orientation.

For instance, Harris's Black and Indian heritage works well alongside Walz being one of America's white majority. The US has never had both a President and Vice President come from racial minorities.

Walz also brings practical experience in governance and a longer tenure in parliamentary representation that Harris lacks, as he is a successful governor of a state, having been re-elected to govern it for a second term in 2022.

Politically, Walz belongs to the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, and has a clear history of working with Republicans to pass legislation in Congress on issues such as infrastructure, education, and the rights of farmers and veterans.

This contrasts with Harris, who belongs to the left wing of the Democratic Party. This has made her a target of attacks from Trump and Republicans who seek to portray her as 'extreme'.

Striking the right balance

This ideological balance between Harris and Walz reassures Democrats regarding their representation of issues from women's rights (particularly abortion), defending the LGBTQ+ community, raising the minimum wage, and the party's growing concern about Israel's military actions in Gaza.

On the latter, both Walz and Harris strongly agree a fundamental American commitment to defending Israel against security threats, but not letting this be a licence for US-sanctioned human rights violations against Palestinians.

Walz strongly condemned Hamas's attack on 7 October and the associated atrocities, but he was also understanding of student protest calls for the US to re-evaluation its support for Israel's war in Gaza, something the Republican abhor.

"This issue represents a humanitarian crisis," Walz said, adding that the protesters "have every right for their voices to be heard… These people are calling for a change in approach. They are calling for more pressure."

Importantly, he said the two tracks could run in "parallel", those being that "Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but Palestinian civilians have become victims in all of this," adding: "This must end."