Tim Walz may not be the most recognisable name in the politics of the United States.
But from Tuesday onwards, the Minnesota governor will be a leading figure in the presidential campaign as Vice President Kamala Harris’s Democratic running mate.
Harris, who has secured her party’s nomination for the November 5 polls, selected Walz as her VP pick, saying she was “proud” of her choice.
“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team,” Harris posted on X.
Walz said it was the “honour of a lifetime” to be Harris’s vice presidential pick.
“I’m all in. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks!” he posted on X.
If Harris defeats Republican nominee Donald Trump in the November polls, Walz will be a heartbeat away from the US presidency.
While vice presidents’ official duties are limited, they serve as potential heirs and partners in governing at the White House. As running mates, they are top surrogates for the campaign.
So who is Walz and where does he stand on the issues driving the US election?
Walz, 60, has both executive and legislative experiences.
He was first elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and won a second term four years later. Despite the state not being a traditional Democratic stronghold, Walz won both races with ease.
Prior to his gubernatorial tenure, Walz served in the US House of Representatives for 12 years, representing a largely rural district in southern Minnesota.
Walz is also a US military veteran, having served in the Army National Guard for 24 years after joining it at the age of 17. Before running for Congress, he worked as a school teacher.
On policy, the governor has been lauded by some progressives for being able to advance left-wing priorities in a swing state.
Over the past six years, Walz has approved programmes that would cover college tuition for low-income students, implemented free breakfast and lunch at public schools, legalised recreational marijuana for adults and expanded protections for workers.
Walz is also seen as a strong defender of abortion rights. Moreover, he has backed many climate initiatives, including a law to transition Minnesota to carbon-free electricity by 2040.
While Republicans are likely to argue that Walz’s record is too liberal, the governor has not shied away from standing by his policies.
Asked about being labelled a “big government liberal”, Walz told CNN last month, “What a monster! Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own healthcare decisions, and we’re a top five business state, and we also rank in the top three in happiness.”
“If that’s where they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label,” he added.
Jennifer Victor, a political science professor at George Mason University, told Al Jazeera Walz is an “interesting choice”, noting that many Americans may not have heard of him before Tuesday.
Victor said Walz has a relatable “Midwestern vibe”. “It seems that perhaps Harris has chosen him for these positive attributes that she thinks may make the ticket more appealing to swing voters,” she said.
She highlighted Walz’s criticism of Republicans as “weird”, rather than a mortal threat to democracy.
“This was not a line of framing that we had seen Democrats successfully use against Republicans in the past, and Walz delivered it in a sort of personable, softer way that I think just resonated with more people,” she said.
Beyond domestic policy, the US approach to the war in Gaza and soaring tensions in the Middle East is proving to be a prominent issue in this election cycle.
While governors do not dictate foreign policy, Walz has expressed support for Israel and ordered the flags at half-staff in solidarity with the US ally after Hamas’s October 7 attack.
While serving in Congress, Walz had also taken pro-Israel positions.
“Israel is our truest and closest ally in the region, with a commitment to values of personal freedoms and liberties, surrounded by a pretty tough neighborhood,” he had said in 2010.
But in March, after nearly 19 percent of Democratic voters in Minnesota cast “uncommitted” votes to protest President Joe Biden’s unconditional support for Israel, Walz suggested that he understands the growing frustration with the US approach.
He said people who voted “uncommitted” have “every right” to be heard.
“These folks are asking for a change in course. They’re asking for more pressure to be put on,” Walz told MPR News at that time.
“People are frustrated, but it bodes well for me that they’re actively engaged to go out and cast his vote and ask for change,” he said.
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