Reactions pour in after Gov. Walz selection as VP Harris’ running mate

By WDIO

Reactions have been coming since Vice President Kamala Harris announced she has picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate. Gov. Walz described his selection as “the honor of a lifetime” on X.

“Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school,” said Walz

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said he believed Walz would make a great Vice President.

“As former educators, Tim and I believe in doing what’s best for kids, leading with kindness, empathy, and respect, and working hard to get good things done for the people we serve,” said Evers. “Those are exactly the kind of Midwestern values and qualities that will make Tim a great Vice President.”

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar highlighted Minnesota’s connection to vice presidents in the past in her statement.

“Minnesota is known as the land of Vice Presidents, and we’ve got another great one on the way,” said Klobuchar. “Vice President Harris made a fantastic choice by selecting my friend Minnesota’s own Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. He is an effective leader, a clear communicator, and he knows the midwest. Tim and I were first elected to Congress the same year, and since then we have worked side by side to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. His background as a veteran, teacher, and someone from a rural part of this country informs everything he does. He holds true to his values while working across the aisle to get stuff done. With just over 90 days until election day, I’m more committed than ever to electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin released a statement following the announcement saying, “I had the honor of serving with Tim Walz in the House of Representatives. As a veteran, a teacher, and a true public servant he will make a great Vice President. The path to the presidency and control of the U.S. Senate runs directly through the Midwest and I’m glad to see our party focusing on our region.”

Education Minnesota President Denise Specht also weighed in on the announcement and highlighted the Governor’s background in education.

“Minnesota’s loss is America’s gain,” Specht said. “Tim Walz has been an ally of educators and public education for his whole political career, especially during his time as Minnesota’s governor. His commitment to working people and ability to connect with anyone will shine through during the campaign and persuade all Americans of what labor already knows – Kamala Harris is best the choice for Americans who want to live in a nation where everyone has the freedom to thrive, no matter their gender, what they look like, or ZIP code.”

Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert provided a statement on Tuesday. “I’ve known Governor Walz for years – well before he was Governor. I’ve appreciated our opportunities to work together, and more importantly our friendship. I was a strong supporter when he first ran for Governor because of his rural upbringing, his background in education, and his military experience. His years of experience now at the executive level will be a significant benefit. I know he will work hard to bring greater Minnesota, upper Midwest, and veteran values to the ticket and the campaign trail.”

Former Duluth Mayor Emily Larson shared, “”Governor Walz is a good friend, an outstanding public servant and will be an exceptional Vice President. His partnership on housing, climate, and infrastructure made an enormous amount of local progress possible. I am eager to see his impact continue to grow and reach new constituencies.”

The Itasca Republicans provided a statement as well. Catherine McLynn said, “We are pretty amazed that Governor Walz has been chosen to be Kamala Harris’ VP. He fits right in with her extreme liberal agenda. Here in Minnesota, he signed legislation to allow babies to be killed up to birth. And allow healthy newborns to die on the table after birth. He spent the surpluses, and he raised taxes. He let Minneapolis be looted and burned. With that information, I sure hope voters see that Governor Walz and Kamala Harris are not ones to vote for in November.”

Other groups highlighted Walz’s history with gun control.

“Governor Walz signed a sweeping package of gun safety bills into law just last year, so it’s no surprise that Vice President Harris, who helped lead the strongest gun safety White House in history, picked him as her running mate,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “This election is a life-or-death moment for the clear majority of Americans who are demanding to live free from gun violence. Everytown will go all out to help Vice President Harris and Governor Walz defeat Trump and Vance, whose ‘guns everywhere’ agenda is a dream come true for extremists and criminals.”

DFL Chair Ken Martin was also celebratory in his reaction to the announcement.

“The entire country is about to see why their friends from Minnesota can’t stop bragging about Governor Walz,” said Martin. “By picking a servant leader born and raised in a small town who has dedicated his career to protecting freedoms and lifting up working families, Vice President Harris has chosen the perfect foil for JD Vance and his politics of resentment. Under Governor Walz’s leadership, Minnesota has built a model for how Democrats across the nation can both win elections and improve people’s lives. We could not be more excited to help bring the Minnesota magic to this campaign and to put Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House.”

Donna Bergstrom, the Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, said they were not surprised with the news. “The Democratic party has been lurching to the left for years, and Walz is icing on the cake. I think there’s a sentiment growing in Minnesota, that Minnesotans aren’t as progressive, especially up here in northeast Minnesota.”

She acknowledged that swaying independent voters may be more challenging now, with a Minnesotan on the national ticket. “But I believe common sense will always prevail,” she added. “Republicans are defending the things that Democrats used to do for them.”

WisGOP Chairman Brian Schimming voiced concern in the selection and described Walz as “historically inept.

“With Kamala Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as her running mate, the middle ground of the Democrat Party has officially waved the white flag of surrender to the far-left,” ssid Schimming. “Historically inept, Walz ignored warnings from public officials about the threat of rioting in major cities during the summer of 2020. As Walz dawdled, Minneapolis burned. When asked how he would secure the southern border, Walz took the opportunity to encourage more illegal crossings by suggesting migrants be provided ladders to scale border fencing and barriers.”

“The Democratic Party and Kamala Harris have cast aside common sense to placate their extremist wing. Americans are tired of failure, but that is all Democrats have left to offer. Come November, Wisconsin Republicans will lead the way in bringing an end to their disastrous chaos by returning President Donald Trump and JD Vance to the White House.”

The organization National Right to Life has also come out against the choice.

“If elected, a Harris-Walz Administration would push for the most extreme abortion agenda policies of any administration,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are both radically pro-abortion and see the lives of precious unborn babies as disposable inconveniences.”

This story will continue to be updated with additional reactions.