Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate may not help the Democratic ticket capture rural voters.
A Fox News Voter Analysis of the 2020 and 2022 elections shows that Walz performs similarly to President Biden among highly sought after rural voters, with Biden earning the votes of 38% of that demographic in Minnesota in the 2020 presidential election, while Walz hauled in 37% of those voters during his successful 2022 bid for re-election.
Democrats will look to improve upon those numbers, with Harris and Walz hitting the ground running in the days after the Minnesota governor was added to the ticket, setting up events in crucial Midwestern swing states and looking to sell the electorate on Walz’s blue-collar bona fides.
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Gov. Tim Walz speaks before President Biden at Dutch Creek Farms, Nov. 1, 2023, in Northfield, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The campaign has made it a point to highlight his Midwestern roots and everyman persona, introducing him as “Coach Walz” during rallies in a nod to his time as a teacher and high school football coach.
Harris will lean on Walz in the critical Midwestern swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin, where the Minnesota governor can point to his regional ties.
“Hello, Eau Claire. Isn’t it good to have a candidate who can pronounce the name,” Walz said during a rally in rural Wisconsin on Wednesday.
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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But whether the Minnesota governor can help capture groups Democrats have struggled with remains a question, with the Fox News voter analysis showing that Walz also performed similarly to Biden among White voters without a college degree. During Biden’s White House bid in 2020, the…
