Who is Kamala Harris's Running Mate?

Democratic US presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walls: Tim Walls quickly decided on his running mate. Who is Wallace and how will he help decide the battle for the White House?

The 60-year-old has been the governor of the state of Minnesota since 2019, having previously served as a member of the House of Representatives for several years. Before his political career he was a teacher. The father of two doesn't yet have a particularly strong national profile, but is known for his low-key and direct way of delivering political messages.

Walls has also won elections in rural areas — areas where Republicans are strong. He pursues progressive politics in his state.

Minnesota is considered the best-run state in the U.S.—providing, among other things, free school meals and good health care. Walls is an Army veteran and union affiliate. His agenda includes liberal abortion rights and generous aid to families.

In his first campaign appearance with Harris in Philadelphia, Walls immediately went on the offensive and attacked Republicans. Donald Trump, 60, and his deputy, JD Vance, have been accused of wrongdoing.

“Donald Trump doesn't fight for you or your family,” Walls said of the former president: “He never sat at the kitchen table like I grew up and wondered how we were going to pay the bills. He sat at his country club in Mar-a-Lago and talked to his rich friends. He was trying to figure out how to cut taxes.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walls, Arizona US Sen. Harris wrapped up his running mate search with interviews with three major candidates: Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The short list includes only white voters and whites with a history of winning in rural areas — where conservative America is at home. Walls, the running mate, needs to hit points that Harris can't reach with his messages.

One of the most important decisions in Harris' political career was choosing a running mate. She must now quickly craft a campaign that will appeal to voters from all possible backgrounds and camps. The ultimate goal is to defeat Donald Trump in the November 5 election.

Looking for vulnerabilities

When choosing a running mate, it's also important to have as few skeletons in the closet as he can: Republicans will scrutinize Walls' past and then look for weak points to attack Harris' team. Overall, Democrats had little time to analyze the open pages.

Ultimately, there was also a choice about who Harris could best work with. Tim Walls has to trust you on this one.

Choosing a so-called running mate in a US election campaign is usually a complicated and time-consuming process that can take months. This has happened in a hurry now. The search for a running mate began shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as his successor.

Most recently, Harris met with his vetting team, which included former Attorney General Eric Holder, whose law firm reviewed the finances and backgrounds of potential candidates. Holder and his office provided detailed information on each of the finalists: Walls, Kelly and Shapiro. Harris then made the decision with her husband, Doug Emhoff, and a small group of advisers.

Vice presidential candidates, also known as running mates, are very important in the US election campaign. They can complement a presidential candidate's strengths and help attract more voters. Current US President Joe Biden was previously Barack Obama's running mate and was later moved to the Oval Office – so the vice presidency would be a boost to the highest office. For his own presidential campaign, Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate, who is now preparing to follow Biden. Republican nominee Donald Trump has chosen Senator JD Vance as his running mate for his current campaign.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walls are now on a lightning campaign tour through seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

In these states, because of tradition, it is not known in advance whether the Republican or Democratic candidate will win. Hence, these states are electorally decisive. While Joe Biden has recently been clearly behind Donald Trump, Harris is currently tied with Trump in most swing states — and even leading in some key states, according to pollster Frank Lunts.

Julius Van de Laar, a former Obama adviser, said Tim Walls would win over white male voters and score points with rural populations overall. But Van de Laar says Republicans will jump on Walls' left-wing agenda.

The first attacks in this direction came from Republicans shortly after Walls was named Democratic vice president. Trump's campaign team described Walls as a “dangerous left-libertarian extremist” and Trump wrote on his platform of “the most left-wing radical duo in American history.”