TEXAS — Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday morning announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. The two are set to make their first appearance together later in the day at a rally in Philadelphia.
The 60-year-old Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and could shore up support for the Democratic pair in the North Star State.
Texas lawmaker reaction to Harris’ selection fell right along party lines. Texas Republicans have gone after Harris’ record on the border, claiming she failed in her role as “border czar.”
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, posting on X, formerly Twitter, called the Democratic ticket “dangerous.”
“Harris/Walz—the most dangerous P/VP ticket ever. He let cities in his state burn down. She helped bail out the arsonists,” Abbott wrote. “She supports free health care to illegal immigrants. He signed laws giving state services to them. Both provide magnets for more illegal immigration.”
Not surprisingly, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, was more enthusiastic about the selection, calling Walz an “excellent choice.”
“Vice President Harris has made an excellent choice in selecting MN Governor @Tim Walz as her running mate,” Castro wrote on X. “We served together in Congress for six years. Tim is a down-to-earth fighter for veterans, families and ordinary Americans. Let’s do everything we can to help them win!”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, also voiced her support for the decision. "While Trump and Vance have spent time attacking our freedoms, Governor Walz has been a fierce protector of the freedoms of Minnesotans starting with reproductive access," she wrote in a statement.
Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Harris is doubling down with a “progressive, aka liberal, like Tim Walz.”
“The contrast for voters in November couldn’t be more stark. Harris doubling down with progressive, aka liberal, like Tim Walz makes it even more critical that we elect President Trump and win back the Senate majority,” Cornyn wrote on X.
Texas’ other Republican senator, Ted Cruz, called Harris, Walz and his opponent in November, Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, enemies of law enforcement.
“What do Kamala Harris, Walz, and Colin Allred all have in common? They have all taken donations from anti-police groups and have supported legislation that strips funding from law enforcement,” Cruz wrote on X. “In summary: they hate law enforcement.”
In response to Cruz's statement, Allred's campaign manager, Paige Hutchinson, provided Spectrum News with the following:
"Colin Allred has always had the backs of law enforcement and has been proud to support police funding. Ted Cruz will say or do anything to get re-elected, but he voted against a bill that would've increased funding for law enforcement and secured our border. In November, Texans will elect a Senator who cares about Texans."
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso is a self-proclaimed member of the “Walz fan club” and called the ticket a “dynamic duo.”
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke called Walz a friend and spoke highly of his work on the House Committee of Veterans Affairs.
Spectrum News spoke with Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, at length Tuesday. Doggett was the first Democrat in Congress to publicly call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race, clearing the path for Harris to take up the mantle.
Doggett said Walz will be a hard target for Republicans.
“I think this is a great choice. He’s from Middle America. He can really talk to Middle America. It will be very difficult for Republicans to make anyone dislike him. Well, Walz, he really brings a great sense of humor, a spirit of joy,” Doggett said.
“He brings a progressive record as governor in working for school lunch, for child care, for so many issues there, but in Congress, we know him as the lead on the Veterans Affairs Committee, someone I could work with on veterans issues for Texans and whose legislation focused on veterans, a record that really will compliment Vice President Harris in telling America that we care about the issues that matter the most to Middle Americans,” Doggett continued.