Two years ago, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz coasted to re-election, winning the state by nearly eight points. Though he ran up the margins in Minneapolis, Duluth, and other cities, Walz struggled to gain traction with more rural communities, winning just 13 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.
Still, Democrats say they are confident that Walz’s presence as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate can help the ticket win over some rural voters in the swing states, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
“I think he's going to connect very well for those voters who bother to take a look. He and I have hunted together, we've fished together. What we need in American democracy is for all the voices to be at the table, said Nick Frentz, a Minnesota state senator who represents the city of North Mankato and knows both Walz and his family well.
“I think what he would say to those voters and those rural Americans in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota is I grew up in an area much like yours, and I will bring your voice into those discussions again,” he added.
Walz had little name recognition on the national stage before being introduced as Harris’ running mate last week. His background - growing up in small town Nebraska, moving to Minnesota and teaching at a public school before running for office - may benefit him, according to Dan Myers, a professor at the University of Minnesota.
“There are aspects that maybe help create that image of him as a sort of moderate, more practical politician. He's got, certainly, fluency with some issues that are of greater importance to rural areas. He can talk about farm issues [I] imagine — no offense to Vice President Harris — I imagine with a little more fluency than Vice President Harris, because those are big, those are important political issues, especially in his old congressional district,” explained Myer.
Voters we spoke with in Walz’ adopted home of Mankato said they are excited to see one of their own at the top of the ballot this November.
“Everybody talks about him being, you know, the dad that we all want,” said Mary Brown. When asked if she believes he can help the Democratic ticket win the Midwest, Brown said “absolutely.”
“I have friends who are throughout the Midwest and they’ve all said like ‘oh, we love this guy.’”
“I am really excited to vote for him in November. I think it was a great choice,” added Maisie Johnson. “Granted, I am very, very sad to lose him here in Minnesota just because he has been so effective, but I’m really hoping that what he’s done for Minnesota, he can do for the rest of the country.”
Johnson admitted she was surprised that Harris picked Walz, since Minnesota is a blue state, but said she can understand Harris’ draw to the governor because “he’s a great guy.” She added that she was really impressed with Walz’s signing a bill into law that provided universal free breakfast and lunch to Minnesota school kids. “That is such a small thing, but so important.”
She added: “Here in the Midwest, we love Midwest representation. So if you could get someone in the White House with a Minnesotan accent, I think that would be great.”
But others were not so taken with Walz and his policies. Dale and Maria Mans say they will not be supporting Walz or the Democratic ticket in November. They pointed specifically to frustrations around the governor’s response to the 2020 riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd in police custody.
“Walz has done nothing but let Minneapolis burn them with all that was going on and everything with all this George Floyd stuff and everything,” criticized Maria Mans. “He just stood back and watched it burn.”
Republicans have criticized Walz for his delay in sending in the National Guard to quell the unrest in 2020, but at the time, Trump had applauded his decision making, pointing the finger instead at Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey.
Tommy Piggot, Strategic Communications Director for the Republican National Convention, told Spectrum News that Republicans believe Walz’s response to the riots will play into voters' decisions come November.
“The fact that a police precinct was surrendered, the fact that the mayor of Minneapolis and Tim Walz were trading blame with each other, the fact that there was no real plan to secure the city, to protect the city, to make sure that a police precinct wasn't surrendered to rioters, and then Kamala Harris comes in and bails out the rioters, or at least asks her supporters to donate to women or to an organization doing just that,” rattled off Piggot. (A 2020 Harris social media post linked to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which supported protestors arrested during uprisings spurred by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.)
“I think people look at that as a powerful example of just how much Tim Walz has failed the people of Minnesota, just how much Kamala Harris has failed the people of America. And then they'll look for another alternative to look at President Trump, who has a track record of standing up for the people of Minnesota, standing up for the Midwest, putting America first, bringing manufacturing back, that's President Trump's agenda. He's delivered on it before, and he'll deliver on it again.”
Piggot said that Walz’s addition to the Democratic ticket changes nothing when it comes to Republican strategy for the Midwest, noting that the region is “incredibly important” to the Trump campaign’s strategy.
“The battleground states there are so many in the Midwest. It's incredibly important. You've seen that dedication there. and we're treating the Midwest as important as it is in terms of building that ground game. President Trump, JD Vance, spending time there. Expect that to continue.”
The Harris-Walz campaign, for their part, will continue to focus on the Midwest and the swing states, with a stop scheduled for Walz’s old home state of Nebraska on Saturday; on Sunday, Harris, Walz, and their spouses will make a stop in Pittsburgh before heading west for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.