Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) has become one of his party’s most vocal critics of the Republican Party as the presidential election intensifies, and his national profile has skyrocketed.
Walz has attracted national attention as he presides over a Democratic-leaning state that Donald Trump is hoping to flip this fall. Trump’s description of the former president and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, as “crazy” prompted similar attacks from other prominent Democrats.
He is also one of several Democratic governors being mentioned as possible running mates for Vice President Harris, who some observers say would be more likely to choose a swing state candidate like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Walz has built a national brand on being outspoken and gaining attention.
“When there’s a lot of noise, I think that level of communication stands out and allows you to connect with voters right away,” said Abou Amara, a Minnesota lawyer and Democratic strategist who said Walz’s rise in popularity wasn’t surprising.
“His ability to connect with a wide range of people across the Democratic base is something that Minnesotans have known about, but now I think the whole country is starting to recognize that,” Amara said.
Waltz, a veteran former high school teacher, RepresentedSouthern Minnesotacountryside1st congressional district, served six termsvictoryHe spoke at the Governor’s Mansion in 2018. He fended off Republican challenges in the midterm elections.SecureThe second term was about 8 points behind;ChairDemocratic Governors Association.
Democratic strategist Martha McKenna said Trump has “simple charm and a very solid record” but “until a week ago he had absolutely no national name recognition.”
But Waltz’s comments calling Republicans “wackos” went viral, catapulting him into national conversation amid talk of a so-called “vice presidential candidate.” Harris used the same language to criticize Trump and Vance at her first fundraiser as a Democratic presidential candidate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also used the same language on CBS.
This framing marks a notable shift from Democrats’ more typical move to attack Trump’s nominee as an existential threat to democracy.
“As a teacher, I’ve seen a lot of things… People kept saying, ‘Donald Trump would put women’s lives at risk,’ which is 100 percent true. ‘Donald Trump could end the constitutional freedoms that we have, end the vote,’ and I believe all of those things could actually happen. But it gives him too much power,” Waltz said.He spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union.”When asked about his viral video.
The Minnesota governor also fired back at Trump’s criticism of his hosting of a Fox News show last week, adding to recent moves seen as an audition for a watchdog vice presidential candidate.
“As a country boy, I can tell you that Donald Trump knows nothing about rural America,” Waltz said.Said“That’s why he’s going to lose Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.”
“Walz talks to voters as if they were his neighbors, which is why I think his ‘weird’ comments have gone viral,” said Tim Hogan, a Democratic strategist and former communications director for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign. “So I think Walz is feeling the momentum.”
Walz has been mentioned along with several other leading Democratic candidates who could join Harris in her 2024 presidential bid.
As Democrats look to take control of key states this fall, battleground state leaders like Shapiro and Kerry are seen as front-runners.
Minnesota has voted Democrat for president for decades, but Trump has singled it out as a possible flip state, and polls before his withdrawal showed Trump and Biden neck and neck in the state. No new polls on Trump and Harris have yet been released.
Amy Koch, a political strategist and former Republican majority leader in the Minnesota Senate, said she sees Walz as a genuine candidate to join Harris because he can carry the North Star State and represent a broader Midwestern coalition.
“Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Midwestern feel that he brings extends beyond Minnesota,” Koch said.
Amara said Walz could also be a “progressive counterweight” to Vance, a rural Minnesota native. In the last year alone, Walz has pushed gun safety measures, recreational marijuana legalization and reproductive health protections into Minnesota law.
Waltz has not said whether he has received vetting materials from the Harris campaign, but told CNN over the weekend that it’s “certainly an honor” to have his name mentioned in discussions with potential vice presidential candidates.
Minnesota Representative Angie Craig (D) recommended him for the position.
The clock is ticking as the Democratic Party’s August convention approaches, with the Democratic National Committee expecting Harris to choose her running mate by Aug. 7.
