Kamala Harris loves Tim Waltz’s records and his message style. Importantly, the vice president likes Walz as a person.
Political coverage:
Kamala Harris likes Tim Walz’s record in Minnesota. His biography and record of winning tough races resonated with her. Most importantly, she really liked him.
…
But several other factors are also important to Harris, according to a person familiar with the matter. Harris applauded Walz’s two terms as governor for delivering on Minnesota’s achievements that Harris hopes to replicate during her presidency — reproductive health, paid leave, child tax credits and gun safety.
Waltz is the antithesis of J.D. Vance. Vice President Harris picked him because he accomplished what she hoped to accomplish as president in Minnesota.
In presidential electoral politics, there’s nothing worse than a ballot with no chemistry. Trump and J.D. Vance have no chemistry. Trump and Mike Pence were painful to watch together, and considering how bad the situation was, it’s no surprise that Trump tried to kill the Vice President on 1/6.
Obama and Biden have changed the dynamics of presidential and vice presidential relations within the Democratic Party. Since 2008, Democrats have had running mates on their ticket with whom a future president could envision governing.
Beyond polls, politics, and electoral maps, sometimes running mate selection does come down to chemistry. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz seem to have that.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of Society of Professional Journalists and American Political Science Association
