Kamala Harris is confident in her choice of progressive Tim Walz as her running mate, declaring, “We’re going to win.”
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| Photograph: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images |
Tim Ryan, a former Democratic USA representative and friend of Tim Walz, recently highlighted a clip where Walz noted that Minnesota ranked among the top three happiest states in the nation. Ryan reflected, “Isn’t that the real goal here? To bring some joy? When I heard that, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really impressive. It moves us beyond politics and into the realm of human connection.’”
Some political analysts had predicted that Kamala Harris, as the first woman of color nominated by a major party, would likely choose a white male running mate to balance the ticket. However, Harris, the 59-year-old former California senator, is determined to build on the momentum of her campaign following Joe Biden’s departure from the race after a disappointing debate performance against Trump.
Harris and Walz are set to receive a warm reception at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, starting August 19. The campaign has garnered endorsements from former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
A New York Times/Siena College poll published on July 25 shows Harris has significantly closed the gap with Trump, trailing him by just 2 points (48% to 46%) among registered voters, compared to Biden’s earlier deficit of 8 points (49% to 41%).
Republicans have swiftly criticized Walz as a “radical leftist,” suggesting that his inclusion on the ticket could harm Harris’s campaign. The Trump campaign labeled Walz a “west coast wannabe,” accusing him of trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of California. They also criticized Walz for a 2017 comment describing vast swathes of red electoral maps as “mostly cows and rocks.”
In response, the Trump campaign declared, “If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare.”
Speaking in Philadelphia, Vance initially refrained from commenting extensively on Walz, citing concerns about potential changes in the Democratic ticket. However, Vance later criticized Walz, calling his record “a joke” and labeling him as one of the most far-left radicals in the USA government.
