Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz as her 2024 vice presidential running mate, CNN reported Tuesday, citing four sources familiar with the selection.
The decision ends intense speculation about which candidate Harris would choose to face Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee and former president, and his vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Waltz won the governorship of Minnesota in 2018 and then again in 2022. Under his leadership, the state has seen massive progressive legislative victories in recent years, including universal school meals, legalized marijuana, abortion protections and measures for arms control.
Before entering public service, he was a teacher in Mankato, Minnesota, teaching geography to high school students. He also served in the Army National Guard for 24 years.
His simple line against Trump and his allies got the most attention from national Democrats: He called them weird. Clips of him on TV shows went viral, showing how he stood up to the "strange behavior" to Republicans as he paraded a list of what he accomplished as a Democratic governor and how Democrats would govern if they won the White House again.
Some political commentators have suggested that, as the first woman of color to be nominated by a major party, Harris is most likely to pick a white man to balance the slate.