Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her… Newly elected Vice Presidential candidateMinnesota Gov. Tim Walz campaigned for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday, kicking off a multi-day tour of battleground states aimed at putting Walz on the national stage.
Addressing a crowd of more than 10,000 at Temple University, Walz spoke about his upbringing in a small town in Nebraska, his 24 years of service in the Army National Guard and his former career as a high school social studies teacher and football coach.
“My students were the ones who encouraged me to run for office,” he said. “They saw in me what I wanted to instill in them: a commitment to the common good, a belief that one person can make a difference.”
He also took aim at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, an early example of how Walz, despite his affable, folksy style, would play the traditional “attack dog” role of a vice presidential nominee.
“He makes a mockery of our laws, sows chaos and division, and that’s to say nothing of his record as president,” Walz said of Trump. “He’s been baffled by the COVID crisis, he’s ruined our economy, and make no mistake, violent crime has gone up under Donald Trump. That’s not even counting the crimes he’s committed.”
Harris’ entry into the race, after President Joe Biden abandoned his re-election bid just two weeks ago, has quickly upended the campaign, and polls show she has erased the lead Trump had built.
Walz criticized Republicans for restricting women’s reproductive rights, an issue that has plagued Republicans since the US Supreme Court eliminated a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion in 2022.
“Even if we wouldn’t make that choice for ourselves, there’s one golden rule: Mind your own business!” he said, to great applause.
Speaking before Walz, Harris listed his titles — husband, father, teacher, coach, veteran, congressman, governor — and then predicted that the Nov. 5 election would bring him a new title: vice president of the United States.
“He is someone who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big,” he said.
US Vice President Harris announced Walz’s name earlier in the day, choosing a vice presidential candidate who has executive experience, military service and a track record of winning over rural, white voters who have been attracted to Trump for years.
The Harris campaign said it has raised more than $20 million since Walz was announced as her vice presidential nominee.
Pennsylvania, the venue of his first rally, is expected to be the most important state as the election is expected to be a close one between the Democrats and their Republican rivals.
Trump, Vance call Walz ‘radical’
Walz was elected to a Republican-leaning district in the US House of Representatives in 2006 and served for 12 years before being elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and again in 2022.
He has pushed a progressive agenda that includes free school meals, goals to tackle climate change, tax cuts for the middle class and expanded paid leave for workers.
Trump and Vance criticized the new competitors as too liberal.
“This is the most radical left wing duo in American history,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Vance criticized Walz in 2020 over his handling of protests that followed the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, with Republicans saying Walz was not assertive enough in confronting rioters.
“The biggest problem with the selection of Tim Walz is not Tim Walz himself. It says a lot about Kamala Harris, that when she has the opportunity, she will cave in to the most radical elements in her party,” Vance told reporters in Philadelphia.
Americans typically focus on the person at the top of the ticket when deciding who to vote for, but vice presidential candidates can help or hurt their running mate depending on their background, home state popularity and ability to sway key constituencies or independent voters.
“He listened to his conscience on this issue and made a choice that wouldn’t alienate young people,” said Republican strategist Rina Shah.
Walz defeated Josh Shapiro, the popular governor of Pennsylvania, for the No. 2 role. Shapiro had faced sharp criticism from the left, particularly from progressive groups and pro-Palestinian activists, over his support for Israel and his handling of college protests sparked by the war in Gaza.
Shapiro delivered a fiery speech at a Tuesday evening rally in his home state, attacking Republicans and promising to “work with all our might” to get Harris elected. He also strongly endorsed Walz, telling the crowd he is an “outstanding governor” and a “great patriot.”
One adviser said some Trump advisers were glad Harris did not choose Shapiro, as they were concerned he could have helped deliver a crucial win in Pennsylvania if he had been on the ticket.
After their joint presentation in Philadelphia, Harris and Walz are planning a multi-city tour of key swing states, including Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada. Vance is also making a similar tour, with stops planned in Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday.
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