Harris taps Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate

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SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Tim Walz, the second-term Minnesota governor with a folksy demeanor, has gained a spot on the Democratic ticket as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential choice.

The former high school geography teacher and National Guard veteran helped green-light a slate of progressive policy priorities in Minnesota.

“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his," Harris wrote in a statement. "We are going to build a great partnership."

Harris picked Walz for his executive experience and leadership on issues that the campaign also hopes to focus on, including child tax credits, gun safety and abortion rights, according to sources close to the campaign who were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly. They also pointed to his Midwest background, which could help appeal to key voters, and ability to be an effective messenger against the Trump-Vance ticket.

In recent interviews, Walz has described former President Donald Trump’s policy priorities as “weird” and said Democrats would expand reproductive health, voting and workers’ rights, if elected.

But the 60-year-old governor could also face questions about his response to riots in Minneapolis following the 2020 murder of George Floyd and widespread fraud during COVID-19 under a federal program intended to feed kids. Audits have suggested lapses in oversight by the state Department of Education.

Walz is fond of one-liners and dad jokes that he uses to poke at political rivals. He recycles them often. He’s also not afraid to look frumpy and often sports a plain T-shirt and a ballcap to more casual occasions instead of a suit. He talks fast —