Rep. Angie Craig throws support behind Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for vice presidential consideration
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Rep. Angie Craig has weighed in on who she thinks likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris should pick for a running mate, and it's one close to home: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Harris is vetting about a dozen names as possible vice-presidential candidates, according to a source familiar with the process. In addition to Walz, the list of candidates includes a number of other governors such as Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
Craig, who represents Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, offered a testimonial for Walz Wednesday, calling the sitting governor a "battle-tested leader."
"I know what it takes to run and win tough races – so does Tim Walz," Craig said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We are in the middle of one of the most consequential presidential races in our country's history – and we need a battle-tested leader on the ticket. That's why I'm all in on Gov. Tim Walz for VP."
Days after the first presidential debate last month, Craig called on President Biden to end his campaign for a second term, citing his lackluster performance and what she called a "lack of forceful response."
Walz has spent time this week speaking on the Democratic Party's behalf on the wake of Mr. Biden withdrawing from the 2024 race and Harris appearing to have cleared the support of enough delegates to clinch the nomination next month.
Prior to Mr. Biden's announcement, Rep. Betty McCollum similarly threw her support behind Walz as a possible running mate for whoever would step up to take Mr. Biden's spot on the ticket. McCollum, who represents Minnesota's 4th Congressional District which centers around St. Paul, has served in the House of Representatives since 2001.
"Vice President Harris will need a strong Midwestern running mate and I encourage her and the Democratic delegates to consider a successful leader who has been a teacher, soldier, football coach, former member of Congress, and a proven winner — Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz," McCollum said.
Harris' team plans to carry out and conclude the vetting on a compressed schedule that is expected to be finished by Aug. 7, in order to meet an Ohio deadline requiring nominees to be certified by 90 days before Election Day to obtain ballot access.