Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday formally agreed to run for the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nomination, US media reported.
Speaking on the biggest stage of his political career, Walz touted his accomplishments for the people who elected him to office in his home state. He said:
We cut taxes for the middle class. We passed paid family and medical leave. We invested in fighting crime and affordable housing. We cut the cost of prescription drugs and helped people escape the kind of medical debt that nearly sank my family, and we made sure that every kid in our state gets breakfast and lunch every day.
A former member of the National Guard for 24 years and a high school social studies teacher, Walz was elected as a congressman, where he served in the US House of Representatives for 12 years before becoming governor of Minnesota.
Walz presented himself as a simple man, a good neighbour and someone who fights for the people. He said that while “other states were banning books in their schools, we were banning hunger in ours.” He also dove headfirst into the volatile topic of abortion, where Democrats and Republicans are deeply divided, and stressed that Americans should have “the freedom to make their own health care decisions.”
Advocate for the average American
Walz, an avid hunter and supporter of the Second Amendment right to bear arms enshrined in the Constitution, also took a strong stance on tougher federal gun control laws, stressing that all children should have “the freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot in the hallway.” He also added:
I’m knowledgeable about guns. I’m a veteran. I’m a hunter, and I’ve shot better than most Republicans in Congress, and I have the trophies to prove it. But I’m also a father. I believe in the Second Amendment, but I also believe that our primary responsibility is to keep our children safe.
Walz described himself and Harris as advocates for the average American, clearly separating themselves from their Republican opponents, former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. He said:
If these guys get back in the White House, they’ll start jacking up the costs on the middle class, they’ll repeal the Affordable Care Act, they’ll gut social security, Medicare, and they will ban abortion across this country, with or without Congress.
He also thanked incumbent Vice President and Democratic US presidential candidate Kamala Harris for offering to run in the November election and President Joe Biden for “four years of decisive, historic leadership.”
On July 21, US President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Harris’ nomination as the Democratic Party candidate.
Harris declared herself the official candidate of the US Democratic Party on August 6 at a rally of supporters in Philadelphia. Joining Harris at the joint rally was her chosen future vice-presidential running mate if she wins the election, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Waltz concluded the evening by urging Democrats and independents to vote for the Harris-Waltz party in the November 5 presidential election.
