House Democrats home in on Tim Walz for Harris ticket

As Vice President Harris weighs her choice for running mate, House Democrats are increasingly advocating for a former colleague: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

First elected to Congress in 2006, Walz served in the House for 12 years and rose to become the top Democrat on the powerful Veterans Affairs Committee before heading home in 2019 to lead the North Star State. 

The amiable Walz was not only popular on Capitol Hill, but he also had the distinction of being the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in the history of Congress — a status that endeared him to Pentagon supporters in both parties.

That unique résumé — combined with his Midwestern roots, liberal policy record and fierce defense of the Biden administration on the campaign trail this year — have made him a top prospect among a growing list of Democrats on Capitol Hill, who say he’d be a strong asset to the Democratic ticket as Harris vies to keep former President Trump from a second term in the White House.

“My sentimental favorite is Tim Walz,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee. “He was a great member of Congress. The people I know in Minnesota tell me he’s a great governor… But more importantly he’s a good guy. He’s down to earth, he’s the real deal, there’s nothing phony about him, and he calls ‘em as he sees ‘em, and he tells it like it is, and I appreciate the candor.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also singled out Walz as a particularly appealing VP pick. She pointed to Walz’s track record backing labor unions and working families as a key reason for her support. 

“I want somebody who's really strongly pro-labor and understands labor, because this is a big part of the working-class agenda and making sure that we win working-class votes,” Jayapal said. 

“I want somebody who is totally committed to the agenda that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris fought for, … and then I think it should be somebody who's really good in some of our mid-Western states. So making sure that we win Wisconsin, Ohio — some of those places. And so that kind of brings me to — I really like Gov. Walz,” she continued. “I like the things that he's been able to do. I like that he's from a rural town; I like that he's got a military background. 

“So he would be a great choice.”

Even former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appears to be leaning in Walz’s favor. A source familiar with the California Democrat’s thinking told The Hill “she is always especially fond of former House colleagues” when asked about Harris’s running mate, a nod to Walz.

The buzz surrounding Walz comes as Harris’s veepstakes is heading into the final stretch, with the vice president expected to announce her running mate in the coming days. The ticket will travel to seven key battleground states next week, kicking off the swing with a stop in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Walz’s name has been floated as being on Harris’s shortlist, in addition to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shaprio, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, among others.

Democrats, to be sure, think their bench is deep and many have said they’d be thrilled with any of those options — “There’s really no bad pick, they’re all really good,” McGovern said — but House members have taken a particular affinity for the one they know best.

“The other person [Democrats are interested in] is our former colleague Tim Walz who we know really well,” said Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), the chair of the New Democrat Coalition. “He was my chair when I was on the Veterans Affairs Committee, when I was a new member of Congress. Incredibly nice guy, very well thought of in the House and the Senate and then among the governors.”

Walz, who currently chairs the Democratic Governors Association, cut his own path on Capitol Hill, bucking fellow Democrats on some high-profile issues and lending voice to heartland voters he said were neglected by even his own party. 

He was furious in 2014, for instance, when party leaders — including Pelosi — used obscure procedural tactics to block his initial run for ranking member of Veteran Affairs. Two years later, he was openly critical of his fellow Democrats when they chose a leadership team that tilted heavily towards the coasts, warning that the lack of regional diversity would alienate mid-Westerners like those he represented. And while other Democrats were fiercely defending ObamaCare from GOP attacks, Walz acknowledged the "warts" dogging the massive healthcare law — and promised not to gloss over them in talks with district voters.

"I can’t do that," he said at the time, "because it’s failing my constituents in a lot of ways." 

But Walz was also a cordial team player, who championed a number of traditionally liberal programs — including a minimum wage hike and stem cell research — and stuck his neck out to endorse other controversial Democratic endeavors, including Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. 

Walz's folksy manner, combined with his long military record, won him favor with lawmakers in both parties. That patronage helped to propel Walz to the top Democratic seat on the Veterans Affairs panel in 2017, and it's also given him a degree of gravitas as he bounds around the cable news circuit this summer to bash Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), for their "weird" policy agenda and their claims that only Republicans support Second Amendment rights.

"That's what JD Vance's schtick is: talking about guns. I guarantee you he can't shoot pheasants like I can," Walz told Anderson Cooper this week on CNN. He quickly added that he supports certain limits on firearms to combat America's gun violence epidemic.

Some Democrats say that his military service could be key for the party.

“He has really good ties with the veterans community and is respected, even in conservative circles,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said. “He was somebody respected by the VFW and the American Legion, and I’m sure still is. And that ability, that kind of outreach, is also a real added value.”

House Democrats have also lauded the other vice presidential contenders. They cite Shapiro’s strong approval rating in Pennsylvania, a key swing state; Buttigieg’s appeal in the Midwest and his tactful messaging on television; and Kelly’s background as an astronaut, marriage to former congresswoman and gun control activist Gabby Giffords, and his recent victory in Arizona, another battleground state.

“There’s a lot of good choices out there,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.).

“I think there’s an argument for all of them,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) echoed of those being considered for the No. 2 spot. “They all represent the change back to normal and the forward-looking vision that Harris has laid out around our democracy, our freedom and our democracy. Tim happens to be one of my favorites.”

As the party, and the country, await Harris’s announcement, some Democrats said the ultimate deciding factor should be a simple and pragmatic one: Does the selection help the party win the White House in November?

“It’s about math, math, math — electoral math,” Connolly said. “Synergy is important, but if somebody can’t bring any electoral strength to the ticket, that’s a risk we cannot afford.”