Kamala Harris Introduces Tim Walz as Running Mate in Key Battleground States

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her newly-announced running mate, Tim Walz, are hitting the campaign trail in battleground states Wisconsin and Michigan. This move aims to bolster Harris's appeal in the Midwest ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Walz’s selection has energized Democrats and reshaped the race.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris will campaign alongside her new running mate, Tim Walz, on Wednesday, holding events in battleground states Wisconsin and Michigan that will offer an early test of his Midwestern credentials.

The trip to Eau Claire in Wisconsin and Detroit in Michigan is the first campaign swing for Walz, the governor of nearby Minnesota, whom Harris chose as her vice presidential pick on Tuesday in the biggest political decision of her nascent White House bid. Walz, an Army National Guard veteran and former teacher, adds geographic balance to a ticket with a Californian at the helm who needs a strong showing in the Midwest to win the Nov. 5 election.

Walz has a record of appealing to the white, rural voters who have increasingly turned to Donald Trump, this year's Republican presidential nominee. Democrats regard Wisconsin and Michigan as near must-wins in the 2024 election, given Hillary Clinton's unexpected defeats there in 2016. Biden beat Trump in both states in 2020, but polls showed him facing a close battle in Michigan before he dropped out of the race last month.

(With inputs from agencies.)