US Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, the Associated Press reported.
Walz, an Army veteran and former teacher, was a prominent figure in Harris’s campaign and is credited with calling Trump “weird,” which has become a broader Democratic messaging strategy. Before becoming governor of Minnesota, Walz served six terms in the House of Representatives.
Harris reportedly interviewed several candidates in the days leading up to her announcement, including figures such as Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
On July 21, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race after weeks of criticism over his debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Harris quickly stepped in as the front-runner to succeed him; although she secured enough delegates to secure the nomination, her nomination was not made official until delegates participated in a “virtual roll call” on August 5.
The remaining looming question for the 2024 presidential election is when, if ever, Trump and Harris will take the debate stage. On August 3, Trump officially pulled out of a previously scheduled September 10 debate on ABC, announcing on his Truth Social platform that it was “terminated” due to Joe Biden’s absence and the ongoing defamation lawsuit with ABC and host George Stephanopoulos.
The former president called for the debate to be rescheduled for September 4 and moved to Fox News. Harris responded to Trump’s comments on her official Twitter account the same day, writing: “Interesting how ‘anytime, anyplace’ has become ‘a specific time, a specific safe place.’ I’ll be there on September 10th, as he agreed. Hope to see him there.”
Since Harris entered the race, celebrities have rallied in their support for the potential first female president-elect, with record-breaking donations to the campaign. Megan Thee Stallion and Quavo spoke at Harris’ first rally in Atlanta, where the former performed a number of hits.
