Nandita Bose and Jeff Mason
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her newly picked running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, campaigned together for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday, kicking off a multi-day tour of battleground states aimed at introducing Walz to the national stage.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 10,000 at Temple University, Waltz recounted his upbringing in small-town Nebraska, his 24 years of service in the Army National Guard and his career as a high school social studies teacher and football coach.
“It was my students who encouraged me to run for office,” he said. “They saw in me what I hoped to instill in them: a commitment to the common good, a belief that one person can make a difference.”
Waltz also attacked Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD (NASDAQ:) Vance, an early indication of how Waltz, despite his affable and easygoing style, might approach the traditional “attack dog” role of a vice presidential nominee.
“He has made a mockery of our laws and sowed chaos and division, not to mention his record as president,” Walz said of Trump. “He floundered in the face of the COVID crisis, he devastated our economy, and make no mistake, violent crime has increased under Donald Trump, and that doesn’t even count the crimes he committed.”
Ms Harris’ entry into the race after President Joe Biden gave up his reelection bid nearly two weeks ago has thrown the race into a tailspin, with polls showing her erasing the lead Mr Trump had built.
Walz criticized Republicans for pursuing restrictions on women’s reproductive rights, an issue that has dogged the GOP since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down women’s constitutional right to an abortion in 2022.
“Even if we don’t make the same choices, there’s a golden rule: just focus on yourself!” he said, to thunderous applause.
Speaking before Walz, Harris listed his titles – husband, father, teacher, coach, veteran, congressman and governor – and predicted he would earn a new title in the Nov. 5 election: vice president of the United States.
“He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and inspires them to dream big,” she said.
Vice President Harris announced on the same day that she had chosen Waltz as her running mate, citing his business experience, military service and track record of winning over rural white voters who have long been drawn to Trump.
Harris’ campaign announced that it had raised more than $20 million after Waltz was announced as the vice presidential pick.
Pennsylvania, where the first caucuses will be held, is seen as perhaps the most crucial state in what is expected to be a close race between the Democratic and Republican candidates.
Trump criticizes Vance and Waltz as “extremists”
Walz was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 from a Republican-leaning district and served for 12 years before being elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and 2022.
He has pushed for progressive policies including free school lunches, climate change goals, tax cuts for the middle class and expanded paid leave for workers.
Trump and Vance were quick to criticize the new race as too liberal.
“This is the most radical left wing duo in American history,” Trump wrote on social media.
Vance criticized Walz for his response to protests after the 2020 killing of a Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, saying Walz wasn’t aggressive enough in fighting rioters.
“The biggest problem with the selection of Tim Walz is not Tim Walz, it’s that Kamala Harris will likely cave to the most extreme wing of her party if given the opportunity,” Vance told reporters in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
While Americans generally focus on the front-runner when choosing who to vote for, vice presidential candidates can help or hurt them based on their record, popularity in their home states and their ability to sway key constituencies and independents.
“She followed her instincts in this case and made the choice that wouldn’t alienate young people,” said Republican strategist Lina Shah.
Walz came in second, beating out Pennsylvania’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, who had come under heavy criticism from the left, particularly progressive groups and pro-Palestinian activists, for his support for Israel and his handling of campus protests in the wake of the Gaza war.
Governor Shapiro delivered a fiery speech at a local rally Tuesday night, attacking Republicans and promising to “do everything in my power” to help elect Harris. He also strongly endorsed Governor Walz, calling him an “outstanding governor” and a “great patriot” to the crowd.
Some of Trump’s advisers are pleased that Ms. Harris did not nominate Mr. Shapiro because they were concerned that a run by Mr. Shapiro could help him win the crucial state of Pennsylvania, one adviser said.
After their joint speech in Philadelphia, Harris and Walz are set to make a multi-city tour of key battleground states including Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada. Vance is on a similar tour, with stops in Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday.
