The ballet of cars in front of her residence in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a few hours before the announcement, had somewhat lifted the suspense. After two weeks of reflection, Kamala Harris designated, this Tuesday, August 6, Tim Walz, the governor of the “North Star State” as her running mate for the presidential election on November 5.
A first strategic decision for the Democratic candidate, who is seeking to maintain her momentum after a fanfare start, a few weeks after Joe Biden’s withdrawal on July 21.
At 60, this former American football coach who began his career with 24 years in the National Guard before becoming a geography teacher in a Minnesota high school, does not have the profile of a Washington bigwig. By choosing this man with the physique of a good-natured grandfather, Kamala Harris is clearly playing the complementarity card.
With his love of hunting and fishing, “he has this very concrete side of daily experience, which many Democrats have not been able to find to speak to certain sections of the electorate,” notes Nicole Bacharan, a historian specializing in the United States. A real asset for the candidate, originally from California, and acclaimed by the urban and educated electorate of the West Coast, as well as the East Coast. “Kamala Harris has chosen a reassuring white man, symbolizing the Midwest of middle America. That’s smart! Far from the ‘woke’ San Francisco,” adds historian Françoise Coste.
“Harris seeks to reach independent and moderate white voters”
To win in November, Democrats know they will need to broaden their base. “Tim Walz has the same credibility that Joe Biden has with white working-class voters,” says Charles Kupchan, a professor at Georgetown University and former adviser to Barack Obama. “With her nomination, Harris is trying to reach independent and moderate white voters in the Midwest.”
Harris’ campaign team knows that they will be instrumental in rebuilding the “Blue Wall” (the Democrats’ color) in this region of the north-central United States, which includes many key states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Until then relatively unknown to the general public, this Nebraska native – who was elected to Congress for twelve years before becoming governor of Minnesota in 2019 – had recently gained notoriety after a series of well-aimed attacks against Donald Trump and his entourage, whom he constantly presented as “weird guys”. A term then taken up by the Democratic camp in the media and on social networks.
His presence on the Democratic ticket also has the advantage of giving assurances to the left wing of the party. “Tim Walz has the ability to bring together this part of the Democratic camp and has made very progressive decisions in his state on subjects such as abortion rights and the climate,” points out Nicole Bacharan. During his term as governor, Tim Walz has, among other things, legalized the use of marijuana, strengthened gun control, and pledged to make Minnesota a sanctuary for women wishing to have an abortion. “He is the first non-lawyer on a Democratic ticket since 1980,” notes Françoise Coste. “That will please the unions.”
Unlike JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, who has been under fire since his nomination, will he strengthen Harris’ candidacy? His baptism of fire in the coming hours will provide some initial answers. The elected official should be present at a first meeting in tandem with the vice president this Tuesday evening in Philadelphia before continuing with other key states during the week. The opportunity for the Democratic candidate to check whether, for her part, the alchemy with her new running mate works.