Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, is relatively unknown to the majority of Americans. His performance in Minnesota provides insights into what he could potentially bring to the Democratic ticket. In the 2022 election, Walz garnered support from young voters and union households in Minnesota, with about half of voters holding a favorable view of him and 4 in 10 having a negative opinion. Despite not winning over white voters without a college degree, he fared better in this group compared to Democrats nationally, securing 44% of their vote in Minnesota.
Vice President Harris is optimistic that Walz’s presence on the ticket will attract voters in Midwestern states and working-class demographics, although he currently lacks national recognition. A survey conducted by ABC News/Ipsos before Walz was chosen as the VP nominee, but during the vetting process, revealed that almost 90% of U.S. adults were unfamiliar with him or had no opinion. Among those with an opinion, views were evenly split between favorable and unfavorable.
Compared to other contenders like Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Walz was less familiar nationally, as indicated by an AP-NORC poll from late July. Even within the Democratic party, around 90% of Democrats also had insufficient knowledge to form an opinion about Walz based on the ABC News/Ipsos poll. However, his background as a military veteran and former high school teacher, both professions highly trusted by Americans, may contribute to his appeal to voters.
Being a former teacher and a member of the Army National Guard, Walz’s biography positions him well with the public, given the high favorability ratings for military veterans and school teachers in Ipsos polls from 2024. Despite losing support among military veteran households and struggling with white male voters in Minnesota, areas where Democrats aim to make gains, Walz still performed relatively better compared to Democrats nationwide. Gallup polling conducted in 2022 also indicated that high school teachers are regarded highly by Americans for their honesty and ethical standards, with approximately half of respondents giving them a high rating on ethics.
