BEYOND LOCAL: Kamala Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, hails from state with close ties to Canada

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Walz is already well-known at the Canadian Embassy in Washington and consulate general in Minnesota, said Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Vice-President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate Tuesday, marking a major milestone since her move to the top of the Democratic ticket ahead of the November presidential election.

"As a governor, a coach, a teacher and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his," Harris posted Tuesday on X.

Walz said it was an honour of a lifetime to join the campaign.

"I’m all in," Walz said on social media.

Harris formally clinched the Democratic nomination Monday and appeared with Walz at her side at a rally in Philadelphia Tuesday evening. She referred to him repeatedly as "coach Walz," because of his winning record as coaching high school football in Minnesota.

Walz put his hand over his heart as the crowd chanted his name after Harris described him as a leader and American patriot. The rally kicks off a campaign blitz to introduce the Democratic ticket in important battleground states.

Walz is already well-known at the Canadian Embassy in Washington and consulate general in Minnesota, said Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S.

He "knows Canada well," she said.

The search for a running mate began just two weeks ago, after President Joe Biden removed himself as the nominee amid concerns over his age and endorsed Harris.

In the turbulent days that followed, Walz received national attention for his plain-spoken television appearances, and was credited for coining the increasingly popular Democratic talking point that their Republican opponents are "just weird."

Biden praised the Harris-Walz ticket Tuesday as "a powerful voice for working people and America's great middle class."

Walz, 60, is a military veteran, retired educator and union supporter whose state shares a 885-kilometre border with Canada.

"Between Walz and Harris's background in Canada, these are two people that will have a good understanding of the relationship between the two countries," said Matthew Lebo, a specialist in U.S. politics at Western University in London, Ont.

Harris, who lived in Montreal as a teenager, is expected to be guided by Biden's road map as she navigates America's relationship with Canada.

Biden's tenure has been described as more stable than his predecessor's when it comes to U.S.-Canada relations.

Former president Donald Trump had pushed to renegotiate the old North American Free Trade Agreement, and it was ultimately replaced with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Canada's government heralded it as a success, but it did not receive universal praise south of the border — Harris voted against it, saying it didn't do enough to protect American workers or the environment.

Trump also introduced billions of dollars worth of tariffs, particularly on Chinese imports, and he has threatened to impose more if he wins a second term in office.

Lebo said it's likely that Walz understands the value of trade between Canada and the United States.

The Business Council of Canada's website says Minnesota's relationship with its neighbour to the north goes beyond just a shared love of hockey. Trade ties are extensive, especially in the energy and agriculture sectors.

Canada is Minnesota's largest customer, buying more than US$8-billion worth of goods and services every year, Hillman said. Walz was in Toronto in June to speak with Canadian officials and pursue economic opportunities for collaboration.

"We agreed on the need to protect and grow our strong economic ties, including our growing agriculture and energy sectors," Premier Doug Ford posted on social media after Walz visited Queen’s Park.

Walz also seems "Canadian" in terms of his temperament and values, Lebo said.

"Minnesota may be the most Canadian-like state."

The governor has also pushed social policies in line with the current Canadian government's, Lebo said.

Walz and fellow lawmakers have eliminated nearly all of the state's abortion restrictions, protected gender-affirming care for transgender youth and legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

Minnesota Democrats also funded free school meals for children and free tuition at public colleges for students in families that earn less than US$80,000 a year. Walz has been praised for putting state funds toward health insurance coverage, regardless of a person's immigration status.

Lebo said Walz may be criticized for his response to protests after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020 and for his administration's oversight of some pandemic-era programs.

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance criticized Harris's new running mate as the Trump campaign characterized him as a far-left liberal.

"It just highlights how radical Kamala Harris is," Vance, an Ohio senator, said Tuesday.

Walz, with a "Minnesota nice" demeanour, may help to build an important bridge between the Democrats and voters in key battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump won those states in 2016 and they swung to Biden in 2020.

Harris's decision to pick Walz as her running mate shows she is looking to pull in more support from white, working-class men, Lebo said. There were concerns that she would have less success with those voters than Biden, he said, and they could be critical for a Democratic win.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

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