Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate may not help the Democratic candidate win over rural voters.
According to Fox News voter analyses of the 2020 and 2022 elections, Walz is performing on par with President Biden among highly popular rural voters, with Biden winning 38% of that demographic’s vote in Minnesota in the 2020 presidential election and Walz winning 37% of that demographic’s vote in his 2022 reelection bid.
Democrats are looking to improve those numbers, and just days after the Minnesota governor joined the race, Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz have hit the ground running, organizing events in key Midwestern battleground states and trying to sell Mr. Walz’s blue-collar bona fides to voters.
What is Tim Waltz’s stance on Israel?
Governor Tim Walz speaks before President Biden on Nov. 1, 2023, at Dutch Creek Farm in Northfield, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
His campaign has focused on highlighting his Midwestern roots and down-to-earth character, introducing him at rallies as “Coach Waltz,” a nod to his time as a teacher and high school football coach.
Harris will likely rely on Walz to tout the Minnesota governor’s regional ties in the key Midwestern battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin.
“Hello, Eau Claire. It’s good to have a candidate who can pronounce that name correctly,” Walz said at a rally in rural Wisconsin on Wednesday.
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Luke)
Walz waited until the end of the legislative session to call for the resignation of Democratic lawmakers accused of theft.
But questions remain about whether the Minnesota governor can help Democrats win over struggling voters. Walz also performed as well as Biden among white voters without college degrees, according to a Fox News voter analysis. Biden won 45% of those voters in Minnesota during his 2020 run, while Walz won 44% in the state during his 2022 reelection campaign.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wave during a rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Luke)
Still, Biden’s 2020 performance was enough to crush him in all of the so-called “blue wall” states – the president won Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin in addition to winning Minnesota – a feat that Harris’ campaign is aiming to repeat in 2024.
Click here to get the FOX News app
The Fox News Voter Analysis, conducted in partnership with The Associated Press, captures the American electorate at the time of voting. Using research conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and polling by The Associated Press, the analysis overcomes the shortcomings of traditional exit polls and captures the entire electorate, including those who voted early and by mail.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
