Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Tuesday that the U.S. will abolish the electoral college as Democrats fear a repeat of 2016, when Harris-Waltz's campaign won the popular vote but fell short of the presidency. argued that it was necessary.
“Everyone knows the Electoral College needs to be abolished,” Walz said at a campaign fundraiser Tuesday at California Gov. Gavin Newsom's home, according to Pool reporters who were present. I think there is,” he said. “We need a national popular vote that means something. But that's not the world we live in.”
Walz has long been a vocal advocate of abolishing the electoral college system that determines presidential winners in favor of the popular vote.
At an earlier fundraising event in Seattle on Tuesday, Walz described himself as a “national popular vote guy,” adding, “But that's not the world we live in.” According to the New York Times.
Walz and his running mate, Kamala Harris, are focusing on several battleground states that are likely to decide the next president based on their electoral college system.
Democrats are increasingly worried that although Harris could win the popular vote, she won't win enough electoral votes.
Jason Bean/RGJ/USA TODAY NETWORK (via Imagn Images)
Twice in recent history, the candidate most Americans voted for lost the election, and both times he was a Democrat.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by about 3 million votes, but failed to win the necessary 270 electoral votes and lost the White House to Donald Trump. .
And in 2000, Al Gore received about 500,000 more votes than George W. Bush, but Bush won more electoral votes and was elected president.
More than 6 in 10 Americans want the president to be chosen based on the person who receives the most votes nationwide, rather than the electoral college system. According to a Pew Research study It was published last month.
But the vice president's campaign sought to distance itself from Walz's comments on Tuesday, less than a month until Election Day.
“Governor Walz believes that every vote counts in the Electoral College and is honored to be traveling the country and battleground states to drum up support for Candidate Harris Walz.” said a Walz spokesperson in a statement to the Times. “He was commenting to his many powerful supporters about how the campaign was being structured to win 270 electoral votes. I am grateful for their support.”
During her first presidential run in 2019, Harris appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and said she was “open to the discussion” of abolishing the electoral college, but in her second run, she said she was “open to the discussion” of abolishing the electoral college. I haven't made any statements.
The Post has reached out to the Harris-Waltz campaign.
More conservative Republicans are more likely to support preserving the electoral college system, according to the same Pew Research Center survey.
The Trump campaign attacked Walz's bold removal request on Tuesday. ask why he “hates”[s] Constitution that much? ”
Congress would eventually have to vote to abolish the electoral system in favor of the popular vote, but that is unlikely to happen in the near future.
