Harris selects Minnesota's Walz as running mate

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has picked Minnesota governor Tim Walz (D) as her running mate, elevating a Midwestern voice who has championed ambitious policies on climate change and clean energy during his two terms as governor.

Walz, who was a schoolteacher before serving in the US Congress and then as governor, only recently emerged on the national stage as a favorite of progressives who could take on Republicans. Harris said she chose Walz as her running mate based partly on his "convictions on fighting for middle class families" and his efforts to deliver for "working families like his own."

Harris will appear with Walz today at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the first event the campaign says will be a "five-day barnstorm" to introduce the Democratic ticket to voters in battleground states. The Harris campaign today touted Walz's service in the military and election in a conservative-leaning district as a sign of his broader political appeal.

In 2021, Walz made Minnesota the first state in the Midwest to adopt California's tailpipe standards, and last year he signed a law requiring Minnesota utilities to switch entirely to wind, solar and other carbon-free electricity sources by 2040. Walz signed a separate law in June that would expedite the state's permitting process for renewable power projects.

The campaign for Republican nominee Donald Trump today said Walz was a "West Coast wannabe" who as governor replicated California's policies on the environment. "From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California's dangerously liberal agenda," Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Minnesota does not produce any crude or natural gas and has no coal mines. As of 2022, coal-fired power plants represented 27pc of Minneosta's in-state electricity generation, nuclear generated 24pc of electricity and renewable resources supplied 31pc of electricity. Minnesota is the fifth-largest ethanol producer in the US and has a production capacity of 1,400mn USG/yr.

Environmentalists applauded Walz's selection as a running mate who has sought ambitious policies related to climate change and clean energy, in addition to signing a law last year providing $2bn for environment, climate and energy. The Harris-Walz ticket "isn't afraid to tackle climate change head-on," Sierra Club executive director Ben Jealous said.

Harris' vice presidential selection meant passing over Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro (D), who was also being vetted as someone who could help Harris win the battleground state. Democrats hope the selection of Walz will offer a contrast to Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, who Walz has criticized as "just weird" for positions such as faulting women for not having children.

By Chris Knight