Minnesota Governor Tim Walz hopped on stage next to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris to the tune of a chorus of cheers from supporters gathered on Tuesday evening.

The politicians' first joint public appearance at a Philadelphia rally occurred hours after Harris announced that Walz would join her on the campaign trail. Initial reports that she had decided on the vice presidential candidate broke earlier Tuesday morning.

“I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future. A leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward. A fighter for the middle class,” Harris said while introducing Walz as her running mate. “A patriot who believes, as I do, in the extraordinary promise of America.

“A promise of freedom, opportunity and justice — not just for some, but for all,” she added. “Pennsylvania, I’m here today because I found such a leader.”

To audience shouts of “We love you,” Walz turned toward the crowd, mouthing thank yous to those in attendance.

Harris touted Walz’s background as a high school teacher, football coach and veteran. The vice president referenced his working-class upbringing in rural Nebraska and her childhood as a daughter to a working mother in Oakland, California.

“Tim Walz and I agree about many things, including when our middle class is strong,” Harris said. “America is strong.”

She emphasized that bolstering the middle class and fighting against what she said are the threats to fundamental freedoms by Republicans in leadership are her campaign’s top priorities.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, in January 2023 Walz signed into law a measure ensuring the right to reproductive freedom in Minnesota. The measure, passed by the state legislature, stated that local governments cannot set limits on whether a person gets an abortion or has access to any fertility treatments.

This she said was one of the reasons, Harris said, why she selected him to run with her.

“In his state, [Walz] has been a model chief executive. With his experience, I’m telling you, Tim Walz will be ready on day one,” Harris said. “When you compare his resume to Trump’s running mate, some might say it’s like a match-up between the varsity team and the JV squad.”
The governor took over the mic as attendees chanted, “Tim!” Tim!” Tim!” He spoke about the values of community and service instilled in him from growing up in a small hometown — with a population of roughly 400 people — and working on a farm in his youth.

He noted that those same values were the ones he would bring with Harris to the White House. Walz also spoke about his work on veteran issues, growing rural economies and topics related to agriculture during his nearly decade-long career in Congress.

“I learned the art of compromise without compromising my values,” Walz said.

Walz’s tone shifted as he took the opportunity to address what Harris and he are up against.

“Donald Trump sees the world a little differently than us. First of all, he doesn't know the first thing about service,” Walz said. “He doesn't have time for it because he's too busy serving himself and again and again, Trump weakens our economy to strengthen his own hand."

“He mocks our law. He sows chaos and division, and that’s nothing to say about his record as president. He froze in the face of the COVID crisis. He drove our economy into the ground,” he added. “Make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump. That’s not even counting the crimes he committed.”

Walz criticized Vance for writing the foreword for the architect of the Project 2025 agenda — a list of ultraconservative policymakers' top priorities — and challenged Vance's claim to come from a similar background to himself.

“Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community,” Walz said. “Come on, that’s not what Middle America is! And I gotta tell you, I can't wait to debate the guy!”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, another running mate contender on Harris’s shortlist, introduced Harris and Walz at the event in his home state. He encouraged his constituents to get out and vote for the vice president.

“Freedom is on the ballot. Our fundamental freedoms are at risk. I know when [they're] at risk, it’s easy to feel uneasy, and it’s easy to get down,” Shapiro said. “But, let me tell you something, Philly, let me tell you something, Pennsylvania. Let me tell you something, America. I am more optimistic than ever before.”

Ahead of the rally, Harris took to X to share a video of her call to Walz asking him to join her campaign. Walz accepted Harris’s request and told the vice president it would be a privilege to do so.

When I called @Tim_Walz this morning to ask him to join our campaign, I shared my deep level of respect for him and the work we've done together.

We're going to unify this country and we're going to win.

Let's go get this done. pic.twitter.com/EcqZ497lyk

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2024

Since Tuesday’s announcement, Democratic politicians have flooded social media in droves to praise Harris’s decision. However, Republican leaders — particularly those backing the former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump — have challenged the vice president’s choice.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined fellow conservatives blasting Walz as a “radical leftist.” In a statement, Abbott wrote that Walz would be a “rubber stamp” for Harris’s “deadly open border" policies, refuse to admit there’s a border crisis, oppose border wall funding and support sanctuary cities.

Vance doubled down on the offense, saying Harris’s selection of Walz illustrated how radical she was. He described the Minnesota governor as someone who “listens to the Hamas wing” and attacked Walz’s history supporting “garbage energy.”

Vance appeared to be taking shots at Walz’s history of supporting climate-conscious legislation. Walz signed a bill into law in 2023 that would require Minnesota to generate all of its electricity from wind, solar and other carbon-free sources by 2040.

Trump echoed Abbott’s concerns about Walz’s stance on border security, writing in an email to voters that the governor would open borders to criminals. He added that Walz would light “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON FIRE” and become the “WORST VICE PRESIDENT” if Harris was elected.

Meanwhile Democratic leadership including President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi praised the choice Harris made.

Members of the public shared Diet Mountain Dew — the governor’s preferred drink — jokes and gave the governor the new moniker of “America’s Dad.”

At Tuesday's rally, Harris also formally accepted the Democratic Party's nomination. Over the next few days, the pair will continue their campaigning efforts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, key battleground states.