Tim Walz Is Kamala Harris’s Choice for Vice President: Live Election Updates
Here’s the latest on the presidential race.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has chosen Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, elevating a former football coach whose rural roots, liberal policies and buzzy takedowns of former President Donald J. Trump have recently put him on the map. The vice president formally announced her selection in a post on Instagram.
“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep,” Ms. Harris wrote in the post. Mr. Walz, 60, emerged from a field of candidates who had better name recognition and more politically advantageous states. But he jumped to the top of Ms. Harris’s list, boosted by cable news appearances in which he declared that Republicans were “weird.” The new, clear articulation of why voters should reject Mr. Trump caught on fast and turned the spotlight on the plain-spoken Midwesterner behind it.
Gov. Tim Walz, Democrat of Minnesota, at the State Capitol in St. Paul in 2023.Credit...Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
The Minnesota governor, a former high school teacher, and National Guard member, brings to the ticket a Midwestern appeal and a plain-spoken way of talking about Donald Trump.
Here’s what else to know:
Walz on the issues: Mr. Walz has worked with his state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature to enact an ambitious agenda of liberal policies: free college tuition for low-income students, free meals for schoolchildren, legal recreational marijuana, and protections for transgender people. He has also championed climate issues as governor and faced criticism for his response to the George Floyd protests. See where he stands on the issues, and learn more about his background and 19 other facts about him.
Officially the nominee: Ms. Harris secured her party’s nomination for president on Monday, earning the support of 99 percent of the 4,567 delegates who cast ballots, the Democratic National Committee said late Monday. In an unusual move, the roll call was held virtually over five days, instead of in person at the party’s convention.
Closely watched primaries: Democratic and Republican primaries will take place in some high-profile races today — including for a Senate race in Michigan, governor’s races in Washington and Missouri, and the Democratic primary for the seat of Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, who faces a challenger supported by spending from powerful pro-Israel groups.
The race tightens: Ms. Harris’s standing in the polls against former President Donald J. Trump, her Republican rival, has improved since her campaign officially began. The two candidates are in a tight race in both national polls and in the battleground states.
