Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said one reason he was chosen as former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the recent election was because he could “code talk to white guys watching football” and “fixing their truck.”
Walz discussed the Democratic ticket’s unsuccessful 2024 White House bid during an event at Harvard University’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics this week, saying the Harris campaign sought to tap into Walz’s Midwest roots, teacher ties, military service and coaching of a high school football team in an attempt to appeal to general election voters.
While the Midwest governor said he would like to think he was chosen by Harris because of his record delivering “amazing progressive things in Minnesota,” he acknowledged a large part of him being on the ticket was to connect with white swing-state voters.
“I could code talk to white guys watching football, fixing their truck, doing that, that I could put them at ease,” Walz said at the event Monday.
“I was the permission structure to say, ‘Look you can do this and vote for this,’” he added.
Walz noted, however, that he and Harris “didn’t get enough of those votes” compared to President Trump and Vice President Vance.
During the discussion Monday, Walz acknowledged missteps during the Democrats’ 107-day campaign but said he is aiming to help the party rebuild ahead of the next election cycle.
“Donald Trump has been running since he came down that damn escalator and never stopped. We have to do the same thing or we’re not going to win,” Walz said.
The governor argued there’s “room” for many voices in the party as Democrats across the country begin delivering speeches, travel to early voting states and make splashy headlines, stoking speculation about a budding 2028 presidential field.
Walz has floated the idea of running for a third gubernatorial term and has been mentioned among other Democrats as a potential future presidential candidate. The Minnesota governor told CNN earlier this month, “I am not thinking about running in 2028.”
As names begin to circulate about who could lead the party next, Walz and others have said the focus should be on the 2026 midterm elections.
“I think we will take back the House,” he said Monday. “I am very pessimistic about the Senate, just to be honest with you. With the way things work, I think it’s a very difficult look.”
Walz has attempted to generate enthusiasm and capitalize off Americans’ frustration with the Trump administration by hosting town hall discussions across the country.
“I think there’s a lot of wind at our back, but it’s been 100 days of destruction,” he said.
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