Tim Walz will officially accept Kamala Harris’ White House nomination for vice presidential running mate on Wednesday, as he runs a charm campaign that has made him a darling of the Democratic National Convention.
The relatively unknown Minnesota governor is bringing a worldly, Midwestern vibe to Harris’s growing campaign against Donald Trump.
Conference organizer Alex Hornibrook said Walz, a former school teacher and National Guard soldier, will emphasize his “small town values” and “a lifetime of service” on stage before Harris’ event on Thursday.
“Coach is going to be coaching tonight,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said on CNN, referring to Walz’s days coaching his high school football team.
Along with former President Bill Clinton’s speech, Walz will frame Harris’ Thursday speech and the climax of a convention that has defied predictions of disunity or even chaos in the wake of President Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his reelection campaign on July 21.
On Tuesday, Democratic superstars Michelle and former President Barack Obama spoke, following Biden’s emotional speech on Monday where he passed the torch to his vice president, and then left the stage, both figuratively and literally.
The convention was marked by overwhelming enthusiasm, reflecting Democrats’ relief after an extraordinary month in which the party shifted from dismay over the faltering campaign of the 81-year-old Biden to excitement over Harris’s rebranding.
A big reason for this change in atmosphere is Walz, who has been receiving chants of “Tim! Tim! Tim!” and requests for selfies at the convention.
She has established herself as a skilled communicator and is credited with delivering some of the sharpest attacks on Trump and fellow candidate J.D. Vance, whom she described as “weirdos.”
As a popular, white Midwesterner, Walz has struck a balance between Harris’s California background and barrier-breaking status as the first Black female candidate.
Walz, 60, will likely talk about his upbringing in small-town Nebraska, where he worked on the family farm, and describe his military service, his experience as a teacher and his record in politics.
“He’s the kind of uncle you always want to spend time with,” Harrison said.
Battle of the rallies
The chemistry between Harris, 59, and Walz, and the boisterous energy they generate at their rallies, is helping boost Democratic Party hopes that they can defeat the 78-year-old Trump in November.
Polls show the contest remains close, but with Harris slightly ahead — a remarkable development, considering that just a month ago Trump seemed to have a strong lead over Biden.
The biggest evidence of this shift is Harris’s ability to bring out crowds in a way that Trump has for years touted as evidence of her unparalleled political power.
In a dramatic move, Harris and Walz held a huge rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday, just as crowds were flocking to the Chicago venue for the convention.
On Wednesday, Trump is due to rally supporters in North Carolina for the first time since an attempt on his life last month that left him slightly injured and a passerby dead. Security will be particularly tight, with bulletproof glass screens installed around the podium.
Republicans have stepped up attacks on Walz, attempting to paint him as an extreme leftist, just as Trump regularly calls Harris a “communist” and “Marxist.”
But Sabrina Karim, an associate professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University, said Walz is successfully balancing the Harris ticket.
“His form of masculinity is the opposite of Donald Trump’s, and offers an alternative way of seeing masculinity that may be appealing to some voters, particularly white male voters.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
