Who is Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate?

The choice of running mate for Kamala Harris, candidate for the presidency of the United States, was more than expected: would it strengthen the momentum that is seeing the Democratic Party candidate’s campaign take off – whose latest polls show that she has caught up with Republican Donald Trump in voting intentions – or would it represent a first misstep? “This is her first real decision as a candidate, so it was crucial,” says Ethan, 67, who makes and sells buttons bearing the candidate’s image on a sidewalk on Columbus Avenue in the heart of New York.

By choosing Tim Waltz, it seems that the Vice President of the United States has avoided a first pitfall: while her opponent, Donald Trump, chose as his running mate an “ideological clone”, Senator JD Vance, against the advice of part of his teams, Kamala Harris opted for a profile that complemented his own.

Because if Tim Waltz shares many of the candidate’s struggles – he has taken measures deemed “progressive” in his state, particularly in terms of abortion rights – he displays a rural, rather “ordinary” profile, compared to that of the former prosecutor of a “liberal” state – California – and vice-president in the White House for seven years.

Little known outside his state, located on the border with Canada and nicknamed “the land of 10,000 lakes”, the home state of his wife, a teacher like him, Tim Walz has an atypical career: a former geography teacher and basketball and American football coach, he also served in the National Guard (reserve force of the American Army). This 60-year-old man with a good-natured appearance and a sharp but not mean humor, was elected five times to the House of Representatives and twice to the governorship.

Socially adept and “liberal”, he marked his mandates by adopting a series of progressive measures, which Kamala Harris will put forward during her campaign: legalization of the recreational use of marijuana, strengthening of background checks when purchasing a firearm – although Tim Waltz is rated positively by the NRA, gun lobby – free meals for students, automatic registration of young people on the electoral rolls…

Ellen, who met near Columbia University in New York, already approves of this choice: “He embodies the center and moderation,” she rejoices. The Democratic “ticket” should be confirmed on August 19 at the party convention. In the meantime, the two candidates have already flown to their first joint meeting in Pennsylvania, one of the key states where the November 5 election will be played out.