Vice President Kamala Harris made the highly-anticipated announcement that she has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate Tuesday. “We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election,” she said in an Instagram post.
LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and fellow Democrats had already hailed the selection of Governor Tim Walz a strong choice, citing decades of his pro-LGBTQ+ policy positions.
House Democrats had eyed the 60-year-old veteran for the position in recent days, according to The Hill. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who was thought to be a potential pick, has voiced his support for Walz, calling him “an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket.”
Walz’s liberal background and strong support of Biden’s administration played into the pick, as did his ability to reach across the aisle. During his first race for Congress in 2006, he beat out incumbent Republican Representative Gil Gutknecht in rural Minnesota. Walz completed a six-term run in the U.S. house and became a voice for veteran healthcare and issues, according to the AP.
Walz campaigned for governor in 2018 on a united-front theme, which ultimately won him the race. He has been unafraid to stand on a pro-choice, pro-environmental, and pro-LGBTQ+ platform. Last year, amid harmful conservative rhetoric, he signed an executive order that protected people seeking gender-affirming care in the state. He also banned conversion therapy, making Minnesota a small refuge for trans and queer people.
“Governor Walz has been a steadfast ally and advocate for the LGBTQ community, including support for trans affirming care, bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom and gun control,” said Sayre E. Reece, vice president of the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, in a statement.
“There’s no doubt — Kamala Harris has electrified the nation and breathed new hope into the race,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “Her pick of governor Walz sends a message that a Harris-Walz administration will be committed to advancing equality and justice for all.”
Walz’s support for the gay community dates back to 1999, when he served as the faculty advisor for Mankato West High School’s first-ever Gay-Straight Alliance. He openly supported gay marriage while running for Congress, years before it was even legal in Minnesota.
“Vice President Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz underscores a longstanding commitment to the equality, prosperity, and safety of all Americans, including and especially for LGBTQ people,” GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said. “Gov. Walz has a proven record of including and protecting LGBTQ people and the fundamental freedoms all Americans treasure.”
Harris is expected to formally introduce Walz at a rally Tuesday evening in Philadelphia. The event will be essential in forming many Americans opinions on the candidate. A recent ABC News/ Ipsos survey showed 9 out of 10 U.S. adults didn’t know enough about Walz to form an opinion about him.
