Kamala Harris named Tim Walz as her running mate on Monday, choosing the Minnesota governor from a shortlist that also included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, according to multiple media reports.
Walz, considered a moderate Democrat with progressive leanings who recently made state-funded school lunch his signature achievement, served as a representative for Minnesota from 2007-2019 until he was elected governor.
Other accomplishments include expanding voting rights for formerly incarcerated residents and protecting LBGTQ+ rights with gender-affirming health care and banning conversion therapy.
In April 2023, he also signed the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act. It protects patients traveling to the state for an abortion and their providers from legal attacks and criminal penalties imposed by other states.
Even before naming her VP, Harris had already secured enough votes to lock down the Democratic presidential nomination ahead of the party’s national convention, which will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22. Delegates to the convention voted via a virtual roll call.
It’s been less than a month since President Joe Biden said he was bowing out of the 2024 presidential race on July 21. Harris has already raised $310 million in just 11 days, her office reported last week.
On the day he stepped down, Biden gave Harris his blessing as the party’s new nominee, saying he was “passing the torch to a new generation.” She has also secured the backing of Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as key Democratic Party members including Nancy Pelosi.
Celebrities and activists have flocked to her campaign, with multiple demographic-specific Zoom calls that included support from such famous fans as Jeff Bridges and Pink.
Another Zoom fundraiser, Comics for Kamala, was scheduled for Monday evening. The headliners include both comedians and other celebrities, such as Jon Hamm, Ben Stiller, Kathryn Hahn, Cecily Strong and Rosie O’Donnell.
More surprisingly, the former California Attorney General has received the endorsement of several former GOP politicians, including Rod Chandler of Washington, Tom Coleman of Missouri and Susan Molinari of New York, as Newsweek reported.
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