Democratic VP pick draws praise and criticism from Virginia politicians

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Vice President Kamala Harris ended the suspense Tuesday morning, inviting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to join her on the Democratic ticket in the race for President.

“Let’s do this together. Would you be my running mate and let’s get this thing on the road?” Harris asked Walz during a phone call recorded by the campaign. “I would be honored, Madam Vice President,” Walz replied.

Walz is a former high school teacher who served in the Army National Guard and in the House of Representatives before becoming governor.

His selection, said WDBJ7 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Denton, represents a safe choice rather than a pragmatic one.

“Certainly the governor can play well in some midwestern states and certainly he matches the Vice President in terms of ideology and in terms of issues, also avoids the controversy in terms of Israel and the Palestinians,” Denton said. A more pragmatic choice, Denton said, would have been Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, because of the state’s 19 electoral votes.

Democrats were quick to praise Walz.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2016, offered congratulations “from one Tim to another,” and declared “What a great choice. Let’s win this thing!

Republicans were quick to label Walz a leftist.

Virginia’s 9th District Congressman Morgan Griffith said he didn’t remember Walz accomplishing much when they served together in Congress.

“We’ll have to see, look at the bills Walz introduced during his time in the Congress, see what he’s done while he’s been governor,” Griffith told WDBJ7 in an interview Tuesday morning, “but I suspect that he’s pretty liberal or she wouldn’t have picked him.”

It will take some time, Denton said, before we really know where the race stands here in Virginia, and across the country.

“I think we’re going to have to have two weeks after Labor Day to be able to really see the direction of this race,” Denton said. “because remember, the election is still weeks away and there’s going to be a lot of advertising and a lot of campaigning between now and then.”

Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.