Local voters react to Harris’ selection of Walz

The new Democratic ticket kicked off its campaign Tuesday with a rally in Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris made her first major decision since moving to the top of the Democratic ticket when she announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

A team of lawyers and political operatives led by former Attorney General Eric Holder pored over documents and conducted interviews with potential selections, and Harris met with her three finalists Sunday.

She mulled the decision over Monday with top aides at the vice president’s residence in Washington and finalized it Tuesday morning.

Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket, initially considered nearly a dozen candidates before zeroing in on a handful of serious contenders.

While Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro appeared to be a top contender, Harris went in a different direction, selecting Walz to be her right hand if she wins a seat in the Oval Office in November’s election.

Walz, 60, was a non-commissioned Army officer, public school teacher and state high school football championship coach before he was a politician.

He served for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing a mostly rural Minnesota district.

Walz, who grew up in the small town of West Point, Neb., was a social studies teacher, football coach and union member at Mankato West High School in Minnesota before he got into politics.

He won the first of six terms in Congress in 2006 from a mostly rural southern Minnesota district, and used the office to champion veterans issues.

Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to command sergeant major, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the military.

He ran for governor in 2018 on the theme of “One Minnesota” and won by more than 11 points.

Walz won reelection in 2022 by nearly 8 points over his GOP challenger, Dr. Scott Jensen.

In choosing Walz, Harris turned to a Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, includ- ing sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families.

Walz currently serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Council of Governors, advising the president and the Cabinet on homeland security and national defense issues. He was first appointed to the position by President Donald Trump, then later reappointed by President Joe Biden.

Local voters reacted to the selection of Walz, explaining how it will affect their decisions in November.

Charleroi resident Matt Mascara doesn’t believe Walz’s viewpoints align with Southwestern Pennsylvania voters.

“I was raised in a political Democrat family (Kennedy/Reagan Democrats) and in 2021 I switched to Republican,” he said. “Gov. Walz’s stance on the issues, in my opinion, would not benefit Southwestern Pennsylvanians. (His) administration has set a goal for Minnesota to rely on 100% renewable electricity by 2040.

“If policy goals such as the one I referenced would be brought to the federal level, it would not benefit SWPA industry, and would be detrimental to industries that put food on the table here, (like the) railroad, natural gas, coal, etc.”

Mascara had expected Harris to pick Shapiro as her running mate.

“I am surprised Gov. Shapiro was not chosen, as I believe Josh Shapiro would have been a way more formidable candidate on the ticket,” he said. “His record in Pennsylvania would have allowed for more policy middle ground for some voters (not myself).

“All in all as a former Democrat and current Republican, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s stance on the issues do not even resemble the Democratic Party I once remember. Not all, but the majority of their policy positions are some of the many reasons I left the Democratic Party.”

Nikki Cmar of Jefferson Hills thinks Walz is a good pick.

“As governor, he has executive experience,” she said. “A former congressman, he has legislative experience. He’s also a former school teacher; that gives him a better understanding of what students and families need. He’s a great candidate.”

After watching Tuesday’s rally, Cmar said her late mother, Jan, a former councilwoman and mayor in Jefferson Hills, would agree with Harris’ pick.

“Seeing his speech I know mother would be proud that the governor and his wife were both teachers, as she was also an educator for 37 years,” Cmar said. “I have a lot of concerns, particularly regarding an abortion ban and Project 2025. I have a niece and I’m terrified for her future. Harris and Walz give me hope for her future.”

Her older brother, Michael Cmar of Findlay Township, is also thrilled about the Harris-Walz campaign.

“I am very excited to see Tim Walz chosen as the candidate for vice president,” he said. “He brings a breath of fresh air to the Democratic Party. I am sure that he has a ton of dad jokes ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“Being raised in the middle class and his former profession as a teacher makes him very relatable. His and his wife’s experiences with IVF show that reproductive health isn’t something that should be controlled by the government. He just seems to bring positivity to a race that is going to be (and has been) incredibly negative.”

Annemarie Harb of Aliquippa is also in support of the Harris-Walz combination.

“I’m excited to see him on the ticket,” she said. “Not only does he have the governing and military experience, but he brings a sense of unity and direction America could really use.”

Following Harris’ announcement, Walz said he is “all in” and hit the road a few hours later to meet Harris in Philadelphia to kick off a cross-country tour of rally in key battleground states.

Walz said on X that it was an honor to join the Harris campaign.

“I’m all in,” he wrote. “Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks! Join us.”

They will campaign today in Eau Claire, Wis., and Thursday in Detroit, Mich., Friday in Phoenix, Ariz., and Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev.

Harris had also scheduled campaign stops in Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday and Savannah, Ga., on Friday, but the events were postponed due to Tropical Storm Debby.

Shapiro, along with several of his rivals for the vice presidential nomination, complimented the selection of Walz.

“Vice President Kamala Harris has my enthusiastic support — and I know that Gov. Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward,” Shapiro said. “Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be.”

Shapiro said while he was honored to be considered, his work as governor of Pennsylvania is not yet finished.

“Nearly two weeks ago, Vice President Harris asked me to work with her team to complete the vetting process to be considered as her running mate — and following those conversations, on Sunday, I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with the vice president directly about her vision for the role and the campaign ahead,” he said. “As I’ve said repeatedly over the past several weeks, the running mate decision was a deeply personal decision for the vice president — and it was also a deeply personal decision for me. Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their governor, and my work here is far from finished — there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this commonwealth.

“Over the next 92 days, I look forward to traveling all across the commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind Kamala Harris’ campaign to defeat Donald Trump, become the 47th president of the United States and build a better future for our country.”

Other contenders who were considered to be among Harris’ top picks included U.S Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, all who offered similar sentiments.

Harris’ pick also sparked support from other top politicians, including former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for,” Obama said. “Gov. Walz doesn’t just have the experience to be vice president, he has the values and the integrity to make us proud.

“As governor, Tim helped families and businesses recover from the pandemic, established paid family leave, guaranteed the right to an abortion, and put common sense gun safety measures in place to keep communities safe. But Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect — not all that surprising considering the fact that he served in the National Guard for 24 years and worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach before being elected to Congress.

“Like Vice President Harris, Gov. Walz believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president, ready on day one.”

Pelosi said Walz understands the values needed to lead.

“Growing up as a child working on the farm, Governor Tim Walz knows the heartland of America,” she said. “As a teacher, coach and veteran, he understands the values and challenges of America’s working families. And in the Congress, I saw firsthand Tim Walz’s leadership, collaborative spirit and effectiveness in bringing people together and getting the job done.

“As the longest serving non-commissioned officer ever to serve in Congress, Gov. Tim Walz has a deep personal commitment to confronting the challenges facing America’s veterans. Under Governor Walz’s leadership on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, we made tremendous progress by passing the most significant legislation for our veterans in our country since the G.I. bill. Walz was selected from a field of candidates that demonstrated the strength and vitality of the next generation of Democratic leadership. As the vice president of the United States, Tim Walz will continue his leadership for America’s working families and move our country forward.”

For as much applause echoed after her choice was announced, members of the GOP clapped back criticizing the decision.

Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump’s campaign press secretary, said it wasn’t a surprise.

“It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate — Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” Leavitt said. “Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide.”

Walz has been a strong public advocate for Harris in her campaign against Trump and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, labeling the Republicans “just weird” in an interview last month.

Democrats have seized on the message and amplified it since then, with Walz claiming his use of the term was his own personal observation.

He joins Harris during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics, promising an unpredictable campaign ahead.

Republicans have rallied around former President Donald Trump long before — and since — his attempted assassination in July.

Just weeks later, President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign, forcing Harris to unify Democrats and consider potential running mates during an exceedingly compressed time frame.

Putting Walz on the ticket could help Democrats hold the state’s 10 electoral votes and bolster the party more broadly in the Midwest.

No Republican has won a statewide race in Minnesota since Tim Pawlenty was reelected governor in 2006, but GOP candidates for attorney general and state auditor came close in 2022.

Trump finished just 1.5 percentage points behind Democrat Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016. While Biden carried Minnesota by more than 7 points in 2020.

While presidential elections are often tumultuous for both parties, 2024 is turning out to live up the term so commonly used surrounding it — unprecedented — for a few reasons.

PennWest Political Science Professor Kevan Yenerall said while that word is being commonly used to describe current political conditions, it’s true.

Yenerall, a PennWest professor on the Clarion campus, researches American presidents and has traveled to the national political conventions with his students.

He accompanied three students to the Republican National Convention and will be accompanying PennWest students to the Democratic National Convention later this month.

“You hate to use the word unprecedented, it seems a bit overused and cliche, but that’s what it is,” he said. “A sitting president to not seek reelection has not happened since 1968, but even this is different because the primary’s were over.”

It’s proving to be an interesting, energetic and history making point in American politics and he is excited to be back in the classroom in a few weeks to continue to have thoughtful conversations about the current political climate and upcoming election with students, where he says there has not been a lot of excitement.

“In the classroom there has not been a lot of excitement last year, I took that in part because of a generational divide,” he said.

When Biden, who is an octogenarian passed the torch to Harris, he expects to see enthusiasm and interest shift among his students.

“I expect there to be a lot more interest and excitement when we return to class in a few weeks, which happens with a traditional election, but I am hoping to see more of an interest and participation especially from Gen Z who before did not have a lot of passion or interest,” he said. “I’m expecting students to be a lot more engaged than I’ve seen previously.”

Yenerall said he expects the election to be close.

“For both parties I am thinking this will be a sprint to a razor-thin finish line,” he said.

The Associated Press and Tribune Review contributed to this report.