How could Tim Walz’s political record help and hurt Harris?

The presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, has chosen the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate in the presidential race, elevating a popular although relatively unknown leader who has attracted the support of progressive voters in recent days.

Walz has served as Minnesota's governor since 2019 after 12 years in the House of Representatives and now leads the Democratic Governors Association. He has built a reputation as a folksy politician who can get things done, as Minnesota has adopted a number of progressive laws during his tenure. According to a poll conducted earlier this year, Walz enjoys an approval rating of 55% among Minnesotans.

Since Minnesota Democrats achieved a legislative trifecta in the 2022 elections, Walz and his allies have used their power to push a slate of progressive policies. The governor signed bills protecting abortion access, expanding background checks for prospective gun owners and legalizing recreational marijuana.

"Right now, Minnesota is showing the country you don't win elections to bank political capital," Walz said last year. "You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives."

That philosophy has endeared him to progressives, who threw their support behind him as the veepstakes kicked into high gear over the past two weeks. They reshared clips of Walz lightly mocking his daughter's vegetarianism and tinkering with his car to paint him as the dad that America needs right now. But as the running mate, Walz will need to introduce himself to a much wider audience. A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll showed that only 13% of Americans knew enough about Walz to register an opinion of him.

The other finalist in Harris's running mate search was the Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, whose popularity with his constituents could have helped Democrats in a key battleground state. Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by just one point in 2020, while he enjoyed a more comfortable seven-point victory in Minnesota. But Democrats are confident that Walz's record will mobilize voters across the country.

Last year, Walz signed a bill that provided free breakfast and lunch for all students attending public and charter schools in Minnesota. The program allows students to receive one free breakfast and lunch a day, regardless of their income, according to the Minnesota Reformer. Through the first few months it was in effect, the state saw a significant jump in the number of meals requested.