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Faith Leaders Weigh In on Kamala Harris' Selection of Tim Walz as VP

Milton Quintanilla

Christian leaders are reacting to Democrat Kamala Harris’ selection of Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate. Harris, who was selected by President Joe Biden as the presidential nominee last month due to rising concerns about his physical and mental health, publically named Walz her vice presidential nominee on Tuesday during a rally in Philadelphia.

“He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big,” Harris said of Walz, The Guardian reports. “That’s the kind of vice president he will be. And that’s the kind of president America deserves.”

According to The Christian Post, Walz has served as Minnesota governor since 2018 and was reelected in 2022. He was reportedly selected due to his status as a military veteran and gun owner who previously represented a conservative Republican part of Minnesota while in Congress, The Washington Post reported.

Christian leaders and commentators have voiced mixed opinions of Harris’ selection of Walz, The Christian Post reports. 

“Harris’s & Walz’s records show us exactly what they stand for,” tweeted Christian author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey. “Under them, you’ll be poorer, less safe & less free. But at least they’ll make sure doctors can kill full-term babies.”

“Soft-on-crime policies that support violent riots & repeat criminals,” “Mandating men have access to girls’ bathrooms,” “Abortion through all nine months, paid for by the taxpayer,” “Stifling free speech in service to LGBTQ & abortion lobbies,” “Open border policy that will result in 1,000 more Laken Rileys,” and “Economic policy that causes more inflation.”

Timothy Head, executive director of the conservative Christian group Faith & Freedom Coalition, also warned against Walz.

Although Democrats “will try to recast Tim Walz as a centrist,” Head argued that Walz is “the most left-wing governor in Minnesota’s history.”

“Walz’s Minnesota has become an oasis for left-wing radicals, pro-abortion Democrats, criminals, and illegal immigrants, while hard-working Americans and faithful Christians have been hung out to dry,” stated Head.

“As Governor, he enshrined abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, enacted the ‘Trans Refuge’ bill to criminalize therapy for same-sex attracted individuals and promote access to sex-change surgeries and cross-sex hormone treatments for minors, even inviting a 12-year-old ‘transgender’ child to be present at the bill signing.”

Head also noted that the governor displayed “weak leadership during the 2020 riots when Walz allowed Minneapolis to burn for three days before calling in the National Guard.”

“He cannot be counted on to protect people of faith. In many ways, his policies and leadership are ruining Minnesota, and as Kamala Harris’ Vice President, he would do the same thing for our nation,” Head added.

On the other hand, the Rev. Al Sharpton, a well-known African American political activist, supported Walz’s selection as Harris’ vice presidential nominee. 

“In 2020, we demanded justice for George Floyd in Minneapolis. Governor Walz listened to our calls and appointed Attorney General Ellison to lead the investigation. This showed me he is a man who listens and acts in the best interests of his constituents,” tweeted Sharpton.

Sharpton’s post included a video of Walz attending the funeral of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African American who was killed by a police officer in Minnesota in 2021.

“We can trust Governor Walz to bring the same openness as Kamala Harris’s vice president. He will be a reliable partner as she leads the nation.”

Sharpton also asserted that Walz “has shown he isn’t afraid to confront those who seek to move our country backward, which will help us move forward” and that he will “support Kamala Harris as she aims to become the first Black female President, breaking significant barriers in the process.”

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Andrew Harnik/Staff

Milton QuintanillaMilton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.