Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been chosen by Vice President Kamala Harris to be her running mate in the 2024 presidential election, sources confirm to NBC News.
Walz, who retired from the House of Representatives after being elected governor of Minnesota in 2019, has surged onto the political scene in recent months with his fierce criticism of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
His most famous contribution to the current political climate was the introduction of the adjective “weird,” which he used during an interview on MSNBC to describe Republican politicians who he believed were distorting small-town values.
“We don’t like what’s going on, we can’t even go to Thanksgiving dinner with our uncle because it ends up in this weird, pointless fight,” he said. “That’s true. These guys are just weird.”
The adjective “weird” has become a source of heated debate, with Republicans and Democrats tossing the term back and forth as it became a viral hit on many social media platforms.
Walz’s grassroots approach to politics has also endeared him to voters, and he will seek to appeal to voters in the industrial Midwest, particularly in swing states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, as well as key places like Nevada and Pennsylvania.
A retired teacher, Walz served in the Air National Guard for more than two decades, retiring in 2005.
He first ran for Congress in 2006 and won a seat in the House, serving on the Agriculture and Veterans Affairs committees, where he was a ranking member.
He was elected governor of Minnesota in 2019 and oversaw the state’s response to a wide variety of challenges, including the shooting death of George Floyd in 2020.
Walz was one of six finalists identified by NBC News who were expected to go through the selection process to be Harris’ running mate. That group included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Harris’ running mate is expected to appear with her at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday. From there, the vice president and her running mate will travel to Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada for a series of rallies aimed at garnering support ahead of the Democratic National Convention later this month in Chicago.
While the DNC is typically a time for candidates to be officially nominated for the ticket, this year’s festivities will be different after Democratic Party officials expressed concerns about an Ohio law requiring candidates to submit their names for the ballot by Aug. 7.
The Ohio Legislature passed a bill to change that timeline, but Democrats chose not to risk legal action and held a virtual roll call to nominate Harris over the weekend. It is expected that when Harris names her running mate, the nominee will be approved by the DNC chair to expedite the nomination process.
Both candidates will take part in a ceremonial vote when the DNC begins in Chicago on August 19. Harris’ running mate is scheduled to address the convention on August 21, and the vice president will take the stage on August 22.
