Why Minnesota progressives pitched Gov. Tim Walz for vice president
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Gov. Tim Walz speaks outside the Minnesota Capitol in May 2023. Photo: Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Two dozen labor unions and two powerhouse progressive advocacy groups were among the Minnesota voices lauding Gov. Tim Walz as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris even before she selected him.
Why it matters: The support illustrates why Walz surged in the veepstakes: many Minnesota progressives view him as the VP choice least likely to divide Democrats — and most likely to excite a wider range of voters.
What they're saying: "He's not just a 'safe' pick, but a positive pick," longtime DFL operative Jeff Blodgett told Axios. "There's a lot of upside and doesn't seem to be very much downside."
Driving the news: On Monday, 25 Minnesota unions and labor groups published a reference letter urging Harris to pick Walz, saying he'd be an "effective spokesperson for working people."
The intrigue: Walz hasn't always had a cozy relationship with his party's left flank, given some prior stances he's taken on gun policy, refugee resettlement, and even rideshare legislation.
- But despite past "deep disagreements," TakeAction Minnesota's Elianne Farhat told Axios that Walz "leans into disagreements and actually negotiates … He changes his mind, and he moves."
The other side: While Walz has been an effective messenger — first as an advocate for DFL policies and now as a Harris surrogate — political commentator Blois Olson argues Democrats should consider how Walz will handle critiques of his governorship.
- Walz has faced scrutiny over a pandemic aid fraud scandal and his public records transparency, and "when Walz is defensive, is when his political skills falter," Olson wrote.
What we're watching: Some argue that, unlike other VP contenders, a Walz choice does not aggravate any existing intraparty divisions.
- Where Walz has mostly stayed out of the fray on the Israel-Hamas war, for example, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's pro-Israel stances have alarmed some "uncommitted" Democratic voters.
- Labor unions have also chafed at Shapiro's embrace of private school vouchers and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly's past coolness to labor-backed legislation.
Catch up quick: While Walz was first elected in 2018, it was after Democrats took control of the state Legislature in 2023 that he was able to help enact sweeping DFL priorities.
- Those included paid family and medical leave, universal free school lunches, an expansion of the child tax credit, and the creation of a prescription drug affordability board.
Zoom in: While legislative leaders did a lot of the heavy lifting, Walz's budget proposal to spend much of a $17.5 billion surplus — and to raise certain taxes, outraging some Republicans — set the tone.
- "[Walz] was saying he was ready to go big," Trevor Cochlin, a spokesperson for the liberal advocacy group Faith in Minnesota, told Axios. (His organization also supports Walz as a VP pick.)
Parting shot: To Farhat, Walz is "serious about governing … That's the type of person, as an organizer, I want to be electing."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect news of Walz's selection as Harris' running mate.