Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz introduced himself as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate at a joint rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, positioning himself as both a folksy populist and a fierce defender of the Democratic ticket.
Here’s what you should know about the rally:
Small-town background:
- The Tuesday appearance marked the first opportunity for both Walz, a relatively unknown politician on the national scale, and Harris to share his story with voters across the country, from his upbringing in rural Nebraska to his record as governor of the North Star State.
- The pair used their remarks to portray the Minnesota governor as a Midwestern everyman, a high school teacher turned swing-district lawmaker who advanced key Democratic policies since being elected to his state’s top office in 2018.
- The governor described following in the footsteps of his late father — a former educator who served in the Army — first as a member of the Army National Guard and later as a teacher.
Mutual praise:
- Walz and Harris both commended each other’s records during Tuesday’s rally. Harris said she “found such a leader” in Walz and outlined why she chose him as her running mate. She pointed out his experience coaching high school football, saying that it will influence his ability to serve the country as vice president and that Walz is “more than a governor.”
- Walz thanked Harris for “the trust you put in me” as well as for “bringing back the joy.” He said he is “thrilled to be on this journey” with Harris, as well as her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Promises made:
- Harris pledged that she and Walz will save the Affordable Care Act, and that they’d pass a bill restoring nationwide abortion rights.
- On the economy, perhaps the stickiest issue she will face, Harris promised to fight for the middle class and to bring down prices.
Attacks on Trump and Vance:
- Walz said Donald Trump is “too busy serving himself” to serve others and argued that the former president would take the country backward, echoing Harris’ popular stump speech line: “We’re not going back.” Walz also slammed Trump’s record on Covid-19, the economy, abortion and crime.
- Walz referenced Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s Ivy League education and declared that he “can’t wait” to debate Trump’s running mate. He repeated his now-familiar line, calling Vance and other Republicans “weird as hell.”
- Harris took her own jab at Vance, comparing the records of the two parties’ running mates. “It’s like a matchup between the varsity team and the JV squad,” she said.