US Democratic nominee, Kamala Harri, has named Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota as her running mate ahead of the November Presidential election.
The decision ends intense speculation over which candidate Harris would pick to go up against Donald Trump, the Republican nominee and former president, and his choice for vice-president, Ohio senator JD Vance.
Walz first ran for office in 2006 in a Republican-leaning congressional district, upsetting the incumbent. He kept the seat until he won the Minnesota governorship in 2018, then again in 2022. Under his leadership, the state has seen massive progressive legislative wins in recent years, including universal school meals, legalized marijuana, abortion protections and gun control measures.
Before he entered public office, he was a school teacher in Mankato, Minnesota, teaching geography to high school students. He also served in the Army National Guard for 24 years.
Walz is expected to bring a rural Midwestern perspective to the Democrat’s campaign while also having notched liberal policy goals such as cannabis legalisation and increasing worker protections.
