USA Media: Harris selects Tim Walz as running mate
According to media reports, Democrat Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate for the US presidential election in November. The US broadcaster CNN and the news agency AP reported the decision, citing unnamed sources. The official announcement has not yet been made.
06.08.2024, 15:23
SDA
The 59-year-old Harris wants to run against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the election in November. The 78-year-old has picked Senator J.D. Vance from the state of Ohio as his running mate, but he has had a bumpy start in recent weeks.
With Walz, Harris now apparently wants to strengthen the Democrats in the Midwest. The 60-year-old Walz has been governor of the state of Minnesota since 2019 and was previously a member of the House of Representatives for many years. Before his political career, he was a teacher. The father of two does not have a strong national profile, but is known for his down-to-earth and direct way of conveying political messages.
Not an easy office
The office of Vice President is generally not an easy one: the deputy's task is to promote and represent the President's policies, while at the same time setting his own tone without upstaging the boss, without making any mistakes, but without shining too brightly himself. Harris herself was unable to score points in the post - as deputy to Democratic incumbent Joe Biden - over the past three and a half years and remained rather pale. She was the first woman and first black woman in US history to become Vice President.
In July, she finally became the frontwoman of the Democrats in a dramatic turnaround after Biden withdrew from the election campaign. The 81-year-old had come under pressure in his own ranks due to his age and doubts about his mental fitness and eventually announced his withdrawal from the presidential race. As soon as he dropped out, Biden proposed his deputy as a replacement candidate and the party rallied behind her in a rush. She was officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate in an online vote.
The duo appear together for the first time
From August 19 to 22, the Democrats will convene for a major party convention in Chicago. Harris' official nomination would actually have taken place there, but was brought forward for bureaucratic reasons and handled digitally. The party is now likely to use the convention in Chicago primarily to celebrate Harris and her new deputy with a lot of show and pomp and to provide momentum for the rest of the election campaign.
Before the party convention, Harris and Walz are planning a lightning campaign tour through the seven most contested states in the coming days: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. In these so-called swing states, it is not clear in advance whether the Republican or Democratic candidate will traditionally win. That is why these states are decisive in the election. The duo's first joint appearance is scheduled for Tuesday evening (local time) in Philadelphia.
