Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is also the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris for the U.S. presidential election scheduled for November, has accepted the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States, calling it the “honor of my life.”
Accepting the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday, August 21, Walz stated, “It’s the honor of my life to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States.”
He expressed gratitude to President Joe Biden for “four years of strong, historic leadership” and thanked Kamala Harris for inviting him to join the ticket. Gwen Walz, the First Lady of Minnesota, introduced him with a film that chronicled his life from his birth in Nebraska to his service in the Army National Guard. As Walz took the stage, Gwen Walz and their children, who were present at the convention, were visibly emotional.
In his speech, Walz made a pointed reference to his Republican rival JD Vance, a Yale alumnus, saying, “I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale,” CNN reported.
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Walz reflected on his sense of responsibility, stating, “For me, it was serving in the Army National Guard. I joined up two days after my 17th birthday and proudly wore our nation’s uniform for 24 years.” He also shared that his father, a Korean War veteran, left behind “a mountain of medical debt” when he passed away from lung cancer. “Thank God for Social Security survivor benefits and the G.I. Bill that allowed my dad and me to go to college, and millions of other Americans,” Walz said.
In his convention speech, Walz laid out what Americans could expect from a Harris presidency, asserting, “If you’re a middle-class family or a family trying to get into the middle class, Kamala Harris is going to cut your taxes.”
Tim Walz, a former high school football coach and governor of Minnesota, concluded his speech with football metaphors. “Team, it is the fourth quarter, we are down a field goal, but we are on offense and we’ve got the ball… We are driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team. Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job is to get into the trenches and do the blocking and tackling. One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.”
Harris is the first woman of color and the first Asian American to lead a major party ticket. According to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Harris won 99 percent of the vote.
Walz, 60, emerged from a list of probable candidates with better recognition and politically advantageous states. Harris was nominated as the Democratic candidate after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race amid concerns over his age, particularly after a poor performance in a debate with Donald Trump in June.
In contrast, Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House after a contentious exit in 2020, has named JD Vance as his running mate. Vance is a venture capitalist and acclaimed author of the best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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