As the Democratic Party rallies around Vice President Kamala Harris as its presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been floated as a possible running mate.

Multiple news outlets, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, have reported Walz is on the Harris campaign shortlist for vice president, along with governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

In an interview Monday with Minnesota Public Radio, Walz said he had spoken with Harris over the weekend and hadn’t ruled out the possibility of being her running mate.

So, could Minnesota’s second-term governor actually make the cut?

Walz’s viability

Longtime observers of Minnesota politics say the governor has many strengths that could make him useful as a running mate. He heads the Democratic Governors Association, is popular in Minnesota and successfully enacted progressive policies in the state, such as universal free school meals and codifying abortion rights into law.

There’s also Walz’s background as a school teacher, his ties to the small-town Midwest and his military service.

Still, some are skeptical Minnesota’s governor would get the nod over contenders from states like Pennsylvania, Michigan or Arizona, where a hometown running mate could help turn the state blue in November.

“They represent states that are vital for Democratic victory, and Minnesota is not on the short list of top swing states,” said Steven Schier, professor emeritus of political science at Carleton College.

Republicans are holding out hope Donald Trump can win Minnesota after coming within 1.5 percentage points of Hillary Clinton in 2016. But Minnesota has been reliably Democratic in every presidential election for half a century since Republican Richard Nixon won the state in 1972.

So while Walz may have a successful record as a progressive, popularity at home and Midwestern credibility, he may not have much to help the Democrats win the presidential election, said Schier.

Swing-state appeal

Delivering a bona fide swing state could be key in the Harris campaign’s final decision. A popular figure in a swing state could bring supporters who are already familiar with their name. But in the big scheme of things, many political academics agree that vice presidential picks do not matter terribly much to voters beyond the dedicated partisans.

“We’re in a country where 40% of the American public cannot name who the sitting vice president is, and so, so we’re at a point where it’ll move a few people,” said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University and a frequent commentator on Minnesota politics. “Take us down to Arizona and probably all their articles are about Senator Kelly.”

Larry Jacobs, founder and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, thinks Walz’s best asset to Harris would be his track record, with 12 years in Congress and effectively governing his home state.

“He knows how Washington operates, and that’s not something you can say about, let’s say, Josh Shapiro or Whitmer or some of the other names being floated,” Jacobs said.

If Walz doesn’t clinch a spot as running mate, another possibility for the governor is a cabinet position in a Harris Administration, Schultz and others speculated. Schier could see Walz being asked to take the reins of an executive agency that primarily deals with domestic policy.

And at the very least, speculation Walz may be on the Harris ticket generates enthusiasm and could help with fundraising, Schultz said.

“The rumor raises his political capital, which means at least for a couple of weeks, he’s valuable. He gets to raise his profile,” Schultz said. “If he goes and speaks, he can probably help raise money for the Democrats.”

Who is backing Walz?

Democratic members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation have backed Walz for vice president. In a July 21 statement calling for Joe Biden to end his reelection bid and allow Harris to take his place, Rep. Betty McCollum said delegates to the Democratic National Convention should pick Walz as running mate. Rep. Angie Craig joined McCollum in endorsing Walz for VP last week.

Walz also has garnered some attention from figures with national profiles. After his name was floated this week as a potential vice presidential pick, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas spoke highly of the governor in a social media post that picked up more than 700,000 views.

Gun control activist and March for Our Lives founder David Hogg also speaks highly of Walz on social media, making several posts a day promoting the governor as a vice presidential pick and praising him for his progressive accomplishments in the past few years, including gun control policies.

If Walz leaves

If Walz joins the Harris ticket and she wins, or if Harris wins and appoints Walz to head an executive agency, what happens next?

Under the Minnesota Constitution, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would take Walz’s place, and state Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, also a Democrat, would assume the role of lieutenant governor.

Flanagan would serve out the rest of Walz’s term, which ends in January 2027. The next gubernatorial election in Minnesota is in 2026.

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