Harris picks Tim Walz as running mate

WASHINGTON – US Vice President and Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Tuesday chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

Walz, a former six-term lawmaker and educator, is to be on the national ticket as Harris is set to begin a five-day tour to the swing states on the day to boost her electoral chances amid a tight race against former President and Republican standard-bearer Donald Trump.

"I am proud to announce that I've asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"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. Now let's get to work," she added.

The Midwestern governor said he is "all in" for the campaign.

"It is the honor of a lifetime to join @kamalaharris in this campaign," he wrote on X. "I'm all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what's possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school."

The announcement ended days of grueling considerations over the finalists' impact on her campaign and the electoral map as well as their chemistry with Harris. The finalists included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

Though other finalists had a stronger competitive edge, like a battleground advantage, Walz is known to be a loyalist to the Biden-Harris administration, with his folksy demeanor, and progressive policy records that were expected to help Harris' campaign.

Walz, a plain-spoken politician, got into the spotlight when he described Trump and other Republicans as "weird" in recent media appearances. That expression has been popularized in political discourse both online and offline during this election cycle.

Trump's campaign criticized Walz as a "dangerously liberal extremist," reports said. (PNA)