Walz, Tim

Subterms

    More stories

    • 113 Shares159 Views

      in Elections

      Tech Investors Are the Latest to Zoom for Harris

      by

      There was a Zoom call for cat ladies. Ones for Deadheads, Black women, white women, and then, of course, for the white dudes.And now, at long last, there was one for the venture capitalists.The latest affinity group to organize behind Kamala Harris on Wednesday represented the lowly millionaire and billionaire investors of Silicon Valley. Relative to the massive Zoom telethons that other groups had been hosting for Ms. Harris over the last two weeks, the “VCs for Kamala” call was a small group of around 600 people. But they represented some of the country’s most notable donors who have outsize influence in technology and Democratic politics.A week after publishing an open letter in support of Kamala Harris signed by more than 700 influential tech investors, a group of key backers took to Zoom to rally their peers in a way only they could: with PowerPoint presentations, startup aphorisms and a desire to make the Harris funding round “oversubscribed.” Their logo? Designed by AI, naturally.Ms. Harris, who grew up in Bay Area politics and has stronger personal relationships with tech executives and investors than did President Biden, has ushered in an enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket not seen in years. She is set to return to San Francisco for a fund-raiser this weekend, and the event is already sold out at all but the most expensive price points..On the call, Reid Hoffman, a major donor to President Biden and Ms. Harris, made the business case for supporting Ms. Harris over former President Donald J. Trump. “No chaos” was far better for business, he said. Other chief executives of major companies he has spoken to agreed, he added.Ron Conway, a billionaire investor and Silicon Valley Democratic leader, pledged on the call to match $50,000 in donations to the Harris effort. In total, the group received pledges of roughly $135,000 for the Harris campaign.John Corrigan, an organizer of the call, encouraged listeners to call their relatives in swing states and talk about politicsMr. Corrigan promised the group would reconvene in September: “After Burning Man.” More

    • 188 Shares179 Views

      in Elections

      Trump Criticizes Harris and Walz in Fox News Appearance and Suggests a Debate Will Happen

      by

      In an appearance on Fox News early Wednesday morning, former President Donald J. Trump called the Democratic ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota “communist” and suggested he was willing to debate Ms. Harris anywhere, despite having pulled out of a scheduled debate.He also hit at Mr. Walz over an interaction they had in April 2020, one which at the time led to the then president tweeting: “Received a very nice call from @GovTimWalz of Minnesota. We are working closely on getting him all he needs, and fast. Good things happening!”He described Mr. Walz as calling him for help because he was scared of protesters outside his home, though reporting at the time described Mr. Walz asking Mr. Trump to help Minnesota get more personal protective equipment and increase its Covid testing capacity so that he could let businesses reopen in the early days of the pandemic.Representatives for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Claire Lancaster, a spokeswoman for Mr. Walz, said the subject of that call was P.P.E. and testing capacity, not the protests.Beyond his claims about the 2020 interaction with Mr. Walz, Mr. Trump stuck mainly to the arguments that other Republicans have advanced since Ms. Harris announced her running mate on Tuesday: that Mr. Walz is too liberal and that Ms. Harris rejected Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania because he is Jewish.In the interview, on “Fox & Friends,” Mr. Trump repeated an attack that he has made many times before and that has been criticized as antisemitic, saying any Jewish person who voted for Democrats “should have their head examined.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 138 Shares99 Views

      in Elections

      How Did Kamala Harris Pick Tim Walz? She Trusted Her Gut.

      by

      The ambitious Josh Shapiro asked about his role as vice president. The battle-tested Mark Kelly was already seen as a third option. And the go-lucky Mr. Walz promised to do anything for the team.When Vice President Kamala Harris gathered some of her closest advisers in the dining room of the Naval Observatory on Saturday, they had more choices than time.Her team had just wrapped up the fastest, most intensive vetting of potential running mates in modern history, a blitz of paperwork and virtual interviews that had concluded only on Friday. The advisers were there to present their findings on a list that still technically ran six deep to Ms. Harris, who had less than 72 hours to sift through it to make her final decision.One by one, the circle of her most trusted confidants ran through the pros and cons of each possible No. 2. The sessions went long enough to be broken up with sandwiches and salads as the team eventually focused on the three men she would meet the next day for what would prove to be pivotal in-person interviews: Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.Polls had been conducted. Focus groups had been commissioned. Records reviewed. And the upshot, Ms. Harris was told, was this: She could win the White House with any of the three finalists by her side.It was the rarest of political advice for a political leader at the crossroads of such a consequential decision. And for Ms. Harris, a vice president who had spent much of her tenure trying to quietly establish herself without running afoul of President Biden, the advice was freeing rather than constricting. She could pick whomever she wanted.On Tuesday, she did just that, revealing Mr. Walz as her running mate after the two struck up an easy rapport in a Sunday sit-down at her residence, forming a fresh partnership that will define the Democratic Party in 2024 and potentially beyond. The story of how Ms. Harris came to pick Mr. Walz was told through conversations with about a dozen people involved in the selection process, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe deliberations and discussions that were intended to remain private.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 150 Shares109 Views

      in Elections

      Harris and Walz Hold First Rally in Philadelphia: Takeaways From Their Speeches

      by

      A glittering night aimed to energize Democrats and banish the doldrums that have gripped the party.The campaign to defeat former President Donald Trump is going to be fun.That was the message from Vice President Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, as they took the stage together for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. The glittering rally was intended to introduce a heretofore obscure Midwestern governor — and hype up Americans for the sprint to November.“So, we’ve got 91 days. My God, that’s easy,” Walz said during a zesty debut in which he marveled at the crowd, joyfully clasped his hands and went for the jugular, at least where Trump and his running mate were concerned. “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”The night was aimed at electrifying voters and banishing once and for all the doldrums that had gripped the Democratic Party during the doomed re-election effort of President Biden, who was not mentioned by either candidate. But it also highlighted some of the challenges Harris and Walz will face in a race that Trump is still favored to win.Here are five takeaways from a raucous night in Philly.Walz showed why Harris picked himIt was only this morning that the vice president called Walz, 60, and asked him to join her ticket. As he took the stage, it seemed as if he could not quite believe he was there. But after the two shared the spotlight for 50 minutes, their chemistry seemed obvious.“Thank you,” Walz said, directly addressing Harris in the opening moment of his speech, “for bringing back the joy.”Walz, who bowed toward Harris before beginning his speech, came off as delighted to speak on her behalf, with no reservations about playing second fiddle. His oratory never soared, but Harris reacted with obvious delight as he rattled off plain-spoken zingers.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 125 Shares179 Views

      in Elections

      Kamala Harris and ‘Coach Walz’ Ease Into Their New Partnership

      by

      A chemistry seems to be developing between Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, who looks as if he cannot believe his luck.“Wow,” Tim Walz kept saying, his face spread in amazement. “Wow.”On Tuesday night, Mr. Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota — a scarcely known political figure just two weeks ago — made his giddy, fiery, fidgety, folksy national debut as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.He waved, with big flapping hands, at the ecstatic crowd. He bowed. He bowed again. He stood behind Ms. Harris as she launched into her fledgling presidential stump speech. He bobbed and grinned. He played with his ear and twiddled his thumbs. And when she ceded the podium to him, 30 minutes later, he played the role of a forceful surrogate.Ms. Harris, more accustomed to the political choreography of waiting for someone else to finish talking, smiled, her hands clasped. “That’s right,” she said repeatedly. “That’s right.”The running-mate dynamic can be complicated, even just in terms of staging — how to stand, where to look, what to do with one’s hands. On Tuesday, though, both Mr. Walz and Ms. Harris seemed comfortable in their new roles. He gushed over her “joy.” The whole night, he looked like a guy who had won the political lottery and could not believe his luck.She seemed very excited about football.“Coach Walz,” as Mr. Walz was once known — back when he was a high school social studies teacher and football coach — had helped lead his team to a state championship. He was also the faculty adviser for the student gay-straight alliance.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 125 Shares99 Views

      in Elections

      Facts About Tim Walz: Teacher, Veteran and Harris’s VP Pick

      by

      Until recently, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was a virtual unknown outside of the Midwest, even among Democrats. But his stock rose fast in the days after President Biden withdrew from the race, clearing a path for Ms. Harris to replace him and pick Mr. Walz as her No. 2.Here’s a closer look at the Democrats’ new choice for vice president.1. He is a (very recent) social media darling. Mr. Walz has enjoyed a groundswell of support online from users commenting on his Midwestern “dad vibes” and appealing ordinariness.2. He started the whole “weird” thing. It was Mr. Walz who labeled former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, “weird” on cable television just a couple of weeks ago. The description soon became a Democratic talking point.3. He reminds you of your high school history teacher for a reason. Mr. Walz taught high school social studies and geography — first in Alliance, Neb., and then in Mankato, Minn. — before entering politics.4. He is a decorated veteran. Mr. Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard as a teenager and retired 24 years later in 2005, having served primarily in responses to natural disasters. He received honors including the Army Commendation Medal for heroism or meritorious service.5. He was a rare breed in Congress: a Democrat from the rural Midwest. For more than a decade, Mr. Walz represented Minnesota’s First District, in the southern part of the state. He was the top Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, supported funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, voted for the Affordable Care Act and voted against restricting federal funding for abortion.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Elections

      Peggy Flanagan Would Be MN’s First Female Governor if Harris and Walz Win

      by

      If Kamala Harris is elected president alongside Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, who has been chosen as her running mate, the state’s lieutenant governor would get a history-making promotion. Under the succession plan laid out in Minnesota’s Constitution, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, 44, would become the state’s first female governor, as well as the first Native American person to assume the role. Ms. Flanagan, who was first elected to her current post in 2018, served on the Minneapolis school board from 2005 to 2009 and spent years training liberals who wanted to run for office. Among the rookie politicians she mentored was Mr. Walz, a former social studies teacher from the small city of Mankato, who got his start in politics in 2006 after winning a congressional seat in a largely rural, conservative district. Ms. Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, has championed improving relations between state government and leaders of the 11 tribal nations in the state. A native of St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, Ms. Flanagan was a vocal critic of Minnesota’s old flag, which was retired this year. She argued that the flag’s depiction of a Native American man and a settler was racist. In recent days, as it became apparent that her boss was being vetted as a vice-presidential candidate, Ms. Flanagan made clear she was rooting for him — and happy to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in 2027. “I think Governor Walz would be honored to be selected to be the vice president, and I have been honored this entire time to serve the people of Minnesota,” she told the local news site Minn Post. “That would not change.” If she becomes governor, Bobby Joe Champion, president of the State Senate, would become lieutenant governor. Mr. Champion would be the first Black person to serve in that role. More