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Former President Barack Obama announced his support after Vice President Kamala Harris decided to select far-left Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her 2024 running mate.
Obama said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “Like Vice President Harris, Governor Tim 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. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Gwen, their family, and our country.”
Like Vice President Harris, Governor @Tim_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. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim… pic.twitter.com/s0RmVs7bGL
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 6, 2024
The 60-year-old Walz’s nomination was not unexpected because, in the two weeks after Harris replaced President Biden as the party’s standard-bearer, his name was immediately considered to be in the running.
Walz is currently serving his second term as governor of Minnesota, a state that has consistently supported Democrats in presidential contests for many years. However, the Trump team has made it a goal to break this pattern.
“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate,” Harris officially announced on X Tuesday. “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his.”
She added: “It’s great to have him on the team. Now let’s get to work.”
Harris also said that “one of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle-class families run deep.”
“It’s personal,” she said. “He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, spending summers working on his family’s farm. His father died of cancer when he was 19, and his family relied on Social Security survivor benefit checks to make ends meet. At 17, he enlisted in the National Guard, serving for 24 years. He used his GI Bill benefits to go to college, and become a teacher.”
She added: “He served as both the football coach and the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance.”
I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate.
As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his.
It’s great to have him on the team.
Now let’s get to work. Join us:https://t.co/W4AE2WlMTj
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2024
Harris said she wanted to share his background “both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record.”
“He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families.He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and as an avid hunter, he passed a bill requiring universal background checks for gun purchases,” she continued.
Harris said what “impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family,” saying she looks forward to building an administration “that reflects our shared values.”
“We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team,” Harris said. “We are going to win this election.”
Beginning with a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Harris and Walz will begin a campaign swing across all seven of the states that are critical battlegrounds.
