Harris chooses Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her choice for vice president on the ticket.

In an Instagram post on Aug. 6, Harris said that she was "proud to announce" that Walz had been chosen.

"We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election," Harris said.

Harris' choice of Walz as her running mate caps off an intense and fast-tracked process that began after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July.

Walz has served as governor of Minnesota since 2019 after spending 12 years in Congress. He is an army veteran, having enlisted in the National Guard as a teenager and serving for another 24 years. Walz was also a high school teacher before entering politics.

The selection of Walz comes as Harris has made gains against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in recent polls, closing the gap in many key states.

Minnesota reliably votes Democratic, and the choice of Walz as running mate is not thought to have been motivated by a desire to secure the state.

Walz previously met President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2023 in a conversation organized by the National Governors Association.

"It was an honor to hear from President Zelensky firsthand and offer him our unwavering support," Walz said at the time.

"Minnesota is a proud home to many Ukrainian families, and we will continue to welcome and support Ukrainian refugees in our state."

Kamala Harris secures Democratic presidential nomination

Harris became the presumptive nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month and now has a chance of becoming the first female U.S. president in history.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk