Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate after an accelerated race to find someone to complete the Democratic ticket following President Joe Biden's decision to drop out. The former high school teacher and Midwestern Democrat is quickly proving to be a popular choice among the party.
The two-term governor and current chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, Walz could help Harris in some battleground states like Wisconsin and Michigan. He is well known in Wisconsin as it shares media markets with Minnesota, while Michigan has some economic and cultural similarities with the state he now governs.
But while he is widely known at home, the governor quickly only rose to national prominence in recent days when reports came that his name was in the list of potential VP candidates The announcement culminates an increasingly intense process and a weekend of interviews with Harris and other finalists including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
Compared with other names thrown around the list, Walz faced less scrutiny on the national stage.
Similarly, although he does not come from a traditionally battleground state— Minnesota has supported a Republican presidential candidate only once since 1960— his credentials as a veteran and gun owner who previously represented a Republican-leaning, rural part of Minnesota in Congress could help Harris appeal to working-class White voters who have helped fuel Donald Trump's political career.
Walz has also been openly willing to attack the Trump-Vance ticket, which earned him an endorsement of a coalition of left-leaning groups that touted him as "a credible and respected voice that has a track record of winning over and exciting an electorate, especially the ability to turn out young voters, immigrants, and independents in swing states."
But while he may be popular with certain key demographics, where does he actually stand on certain issues, especially some that have been mentioned as key by Latinos? Here's what you should know.
Economy
Walz and Minnesota's Democratic legislative majorities have enacted progressive economic policies such as providing free college tuition for low-income students, offering free meals for school children, and instituting paid medical and family leave.
His budgets have provided for tax rebates for low- and middle-income Minnesotans and have funded a child tax credit for low-income families, alongside tax increases on gas and on investment income for wealthy taxpayers, according to The New York Times.
Abortion
Abortion is protected by a Minnesota Supreme Court decision. But last year, Walz signed a bill that guaranteed Minnesotans a "fundamental right to make autonomous decisions" about reproductive health care on issues such as abortion, contraception and fertility treatments.
That law guarded against a future reversing such as the one for Roe v. Wade. Similarly, Walz said this year he was also open to an amendment to the state's Constitution that would codify abortion rights.
"Abortion is health care," Walz said on CNN in March. "I think old white men need to learn how to talk about this a little more. And I think the best thing is, listen to women, listen to what they're saying."
Climate change
Walz has set a goal for Minnesota to rely on 100 percent renewable electricity by 2040. He signed legislation that directs officials to prioritize the creation of renewable energy facilities in the same communities that previously had fossil-fuel plants.
He recently announced a $200 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions in the food system, including those generated from farming, supermarkets and organic waste processing facilities, The New York Times reports.
He has argued that it is possible to "create a clean energy future where we can protect our water, protect our land and do that in a manner that grows the economy."
Immigration
The governor supports a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants. In a 2021 letter to Democratic leaders in Congress, he urged such a path for "Dreamers" brought to the United States as children, for essential workers, for people whose countries are in crisis and for the families of those immigrants, according to The New York Times.
During his 2022 re-election campaign, he denounced his Republican opponent for saying that accepting immigrants without enough resources threatened "Minnesota's fabric of life." Walz said, "he's 100 percent wrong morally, and he's 100 percent wrong economically and culturally."
He also signed a bill last year that made undocumented immigrants eligible for Minnesota's driver's license, which he argued would make roads safer by reducing unlicensed driving.
Although he does not have a clear public record on border-security policies, especially as his state lies on the other side of the country, Walz recently made the news after criticizing former President Donald Trump's stance on the issue, particularly the notion of a border wall being effective.
"He talks about this wall. I always say, let me know how high it is. If it is twenty five feet, then I'll invest in a thirty foot ladder factory. That's not how you stop this. You stop this using electronics, you stop it using more border control agents, and you stop it by having a legal system that allows for that tradition that allowing folks to come here just like my relatives did," he said in a CNN interview last week.
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