“As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team,” she wrote on X.
Reactions poured in from across Ohio following the Tuesday morning reports.
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said she considers Walz to be a good example of the benefits of Democratic policies.
“Governor Walz is exemplary of what good Democratic leadership looks like,” Antonio wrote in a statement. “Minnesota has led the country in education, good paying jobs, and accessible healthcare. He is a great addition to the Presidential ticket, especially in the Midwest.”
Experts weigh in
Lee Hannah, a professor of political science at Wright State University, said that while Walz doesn’t necessarily have household name recognition, his career as a national guardsman, high school teacher and football coach before becoming a U.S. representative and state governor might appeal to voters leery of career politicians, as well as voters from critical swing states.
“While Walz doesn’t come from a swing state, the Democrats hope he can appeal to many Midwesterners that the party has lost in recent elections,” Hannah said.
Christopher Devine, an associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton, said he views Walz to be a smart pick.
“My research shows that voters expect a VP pick to be well-qualified for the job, first and foremost. Walz clearly meets that test. Alone among Harris’s VP finalists, he has experience at the state and federal level, as a two-term governor and six-term congressman. As an executive who has also dealt with foreign affairs, he will likely strike voters as ready to serve on day one as vice president or even president if necessary,” Devine said. “This sends a good signal to voters that Harris is serious about governing, not just winning the election. I think they will reward her for that.”
Credit: Larry Burgess
Credit: Larry Burgess
Mark Caleb Smith, director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University, sees the choice of Walz as a mistake and possibly a missed opportunity to help secure Pennsylvania by instead choosing its governor, Josh Shapiro, as her running mate.
“While it is easy to overemphasize vice presidential choices, they at least present an opportunity to benefit electoral possibilities. This appears to be a close election, mostly fought in a handful of states, where thousands of votes can make the difference,” Smith said. “Governor Walz is a progressive who represents a safely Democratic state. He does little to appeal to independents, and his record as governor will come under heavy scrutiny.”
Credit: Scott Huck
Credit: Scott Huck
Smith said the choice of Walz shows Harris views this as “a base election, where the goal is to keep the base energized and happy. It also indicates the fear lurking around divisions within the Democratic Party over the issue of Israel and Gaza.”
Local politicians weigh in
Republicans said on Tuesday that they were relieved that Harris chose Walz.
“Count me among the many, many Republicans in my texts today who are *very* (sic) happy with the Walz pick as opposed to Shapiro,” wrote state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashland, on X. Stewart was reacting to another post that called Shapiro a “young dynamic governor of a must win state” and denigrated Walz as a “career politician from a state Democrats haven’t lost since 1972.”
In another post Stewart said Walz “does almost zero to hurt Republicans in suburban areas where we’ve struggled recently, and absolutely zero to take any rural voters away from Trump. He’s Tim Ryan-style fool’s gold.”
On the other side of the aisle in the Ohio House, Rep. Willis Blackshear Jr., D-Dayton, told this news outlet that Walz has an impressive record of supporting families and children.
“He signed into law legislation that would provide free meals for school children, free college tuition for low-income students, as well. He instituted paid medical and family leave and he funded a child tax credit for low-income families,” Blackshear said. “So, I believe that (Harris) made the right choice because she’s going to be fighting for everyday Americans.”
Elizabeth Walters, chair of the Ohio Democratic Party said called Walz “a proven fighter for working families who has spent his time in office cementing Minnesota as a state that leads in abortion rights, workers rights, and so much more. I’m looking forward to seeing him represent Midwest Democrats as he hits the campaign trail with Vice President Harris.”
A campaign spokesperson for former President Donald Trump, who picked U.S. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, as his running mate weeks ago, called the Democratic ticket an “American nightmare,” and attacked Walz on his record as Minnesota governor. The campaign claimed he’s tried to reshape the midwestern state into California’s image.
“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 far and wide,” campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote.
Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenging U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called Harris and Walz “the most radical presidential ticket in history.”
“I look forward to working with President Trump and JD Vance to ensure that Harris and Walz are defeated in November,” Moreno said in a news release.
Brown’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment by this news outlet’s deadline.
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