Why Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’s VP Pick Is Stirring Controversy among Voters

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will have their first debate on ABC next month, with two more potentially following on NBC and Fox—though Harris has not yet agreed to the other two. But while the debates between Trump and Harris appear set, a meeting between their respective running mates is still up in the air. Both Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz have expressed an interest in such a debate but will likely have to wait until after the Democratic Convention in a couple of weeks to set a date.

In the meantime, we’ll have to settle for continuing to hear each candidate talk about one another rather than to one another. And, if the past few days are any indication of what’s to come, that back and forth is unlikely to prove overly cordial. As such, our time is better spent learning more about the candidates than paying attention to what they say about one another.

Dr. Jim Denison wrote about Vance’s story after he was named Trump’s running mate, and today, I’d like to do the same with Walz.

Who is Tim Walz?

While distilling anyone’s life into a few bullet points promises to fall short of giving the full picture, what follows are some of the more pertinent parts of Walz’s story to date:

Walz was born and raised in West Point, Nebraska—a community of 3,500 people roughly an hour outside of Omaha—before joining the National Guard at seventeen.
He and his wife moved to Mankato, Minnesota, in the 1990s. While there, he taught social studies and coached football at the local high school, winning a state championship in 1999.
He served in the Army National Guard for twenty-four years before retiring to pursue a career in politics.
While in the National Guard, he achieved the rank of command sergeant major before retiring with the rank of master sergeant. The demotion was due to leaving before he completed the necessary coursework to keep the higher rank. The circumstances surrounding his departure have resurfaced as a point of heated debate in recent days and will be addressed a bit later in this article.
After leaving the National Guard, he spent twelve years in the House of Representatives before becoming governor of Minnesota in 2018. He is currently in the middle of his second term in that role.

Walz’s story as a small-town military veteran who went on to serve in contested districts and lead an often-divided state government is, perhaps, the chief reason that Harris selected him to be her running mate in the upcoming election.

However, his selection was not without some controversy, and it remains to be seen if the initial buzz he’s brought to the campaign will last until November.

Was Walz the Right Choice?

One of the chief reasons some are unhappy with—or, at least, skeptical of—Walz’s selection is that it came in place of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Allegations of antisemitism were at the heart of the discussion early on—Shapiro is a practicing Jew who has been vocal about the war in Israel, though Walz has echoed many of the same positions. However, the focus has shifted more to the selection’s impact on the electoral map since the announcement was first made.

You see, Shapiro is the popular leader of, perhaps, the election’s most important state. The latest polling suggests that whoever wins Pennsylvania has a 34 percent chance of winning the election, with Wisconsin as the next most significant state at 17 percent. Minnesota, by contrast, has a less than 1 percent chance of tipping the scales toward either candidate.

Such data is why many Democrats winced—and Republicans rejoiced—when Harris chose Walz over Shapiro.

However, Walz’s proponents argue that, while his state is not nearly as contested as others, his story, personality, and other attributes will help them solidify their base and appeal to undecided voters.

But while aspects of Walz’s story may appeal to many not currently planning to vote for Harris this fall, his politics—particularly in recent years—may not.

Walz’s “Signature Accomplishments”

In describing his “signature accomplishments” as governor, Walz lists a number of issues that could be bipartisan in nature, or at least were in Minnesota. Topics like providing free breakfast and lunch in schools, adding benefits and protections for veterans, rebuilding roads and bridges, and making it easier for people to get government jobs without a college degree were all popular measures across party lines in his state.

However, those measures are paired with points that are a good bit more controversial in nature.

Under his leadership, Minnesota instituted some of the nation’s most progressive protections to trans individuals—including minors—while also being to the left of most when it comes to gun laws and voter registration. In addition, he signed laws protecting abortion at any point during pregnancy and granting illegal immigrants many of the rights typically reserved for citizens, such as the ability to get a driver’s license.

In addition, Walz has been criticized for his delayed response to the 2020 protests over the killing of George Floyd—though then-President Trump praised the steps Walz took once he sent in the National Guard.

His military record, while decorated, has also resurfaced as a source of controversy for how it ended. Walz retired two months before his unit was sent to Iraq in 2005, though it’s unclear when he put in his retirement papers.

The subject has also been raised in previous elections, and Walz’s motivations for his decision remain unclear. However, JD Vance—a Marine veteran—was the latest to raise the issue, accusing Walz of “stolen valor” for the way the governor has spoken of his time in the military throughout his political career.

Choosing Purpose Over Politics

Ultimately, whether you agree, disagree, or simply don’t care about the extent to which Walz was the correct choice to join Harris on the Democratic ticket, what will matter far more over the next few months is how you choose to engage with the discussion.

Regardless of whether your side wins or loses, God will still be on his throne, America will most likely continue to exist, and chances are good that the day-to-day experience of your life will be impacted far less than you expect. Most importantly, your highest calling—to share God’s good news in service to God’s kingdom—will not change.

However, fulfilling that calling will be far more difficult if you’ve burned bridges and spoken or acted in ways that diminish your witness between now and November.

So the next time you’re tempted to prioritize politics over your higher purpose in Christ, remember that this world—as important as it may be—is not our home, and our ultimate allegiance belongs to God.

How can you serve him today?

Published Date: August 9, 2024

Ryan Denison, PhD, is the Senior Editor for Theology at Denison Forum. Ryan writes The Daily Article every Friday and contributes writing and research to many of the ministry’s productions. He holds a PhD in church history from BH Carroll Theological Institute after having earned his MDiv at Truett Seminary. He’s authored The Path to Purpose, What Are My Spiritual Gifts?, How to Bless God by Blessing Others, 7 Deadly Sins, and has contributed writing or research to every Denison Forum book.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org.