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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election Tuesday.
Walz, 60, has served as governor of Minnesota since 2019. During his time in office, Walz has enacted several progressive policies including restricting gun access, protecting abortion access and gender-affirming health care after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, providing free school meals to all Minnesota students, and legalizing recreational marijuana.
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Prior to becoming governor, Walz was a high school teacher and football coach, served in the Army National Guard, and was a member of the U.S House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019.
Democrats hope Walz's blue-collar background, gubernatorial resume, and plainspoken attitude will resonate with voters in swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey endorsed Harris's choice of running mate in a statement Tuesday morning.
"I'm a proud colleague of Governor Walz. Tim had a two decade career as a teacher and in the Army reserves before he became an elected official. He is a person of deep integrity and empathy. As Governor, Tim has been a champion for the working families of his state and brings a common-sense approach to getting things done for the people he serves. He will be an outstanding partner to Kamala Harris during this campaign and as her Vice President," Healey's statement read in part.
Healey further expressed her support for Walz when speaking to reporters that same day.
"This is a dream ticket," Healey said. "I’ve worked with Gov. Walz. He is a great person, he is a great American. He brings so much to the table. People are going to come to know Tim Walz and they’re going to be really, really impressed."
On Vice President Harris's presidential campaign so far, Harris said, "I think that the Vice President has had a tremendous rollout. The enthusiasm is real, voter registrations are up, contributions are up, and it’s super exciting."
Walz also received support from several other Massachusetts leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
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