Vice President Kamala Harris’s selection of Gov. Tim Walz (D‑MN) as her running mate on Tuesday sets up a Midwestern showdown against Sen. J.D. Vance (R‑OH), former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
Democrats were already rallying around Walz to join the Harris ticket, given his upbeat personality during media interviews as he attacked Trump, Vance, and the rest of the GOP as “weird,” a phrase that is relatable to non-politicos.
“There’s a lot of folks excited about him. I think he’s just a good-natured human being, and I think the party is kind of cherishing that,” said Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist. “And I would argue J.D. does come off more contrarian, way more contrarian than Gov. Walz.”
Walz’s Midwestern background has already prompted Democrats to claim he can nullify Vance’s benefits to the Trump campaign as an Ohio legisl …