Harris introduces Walz as her new running mate during Philadelphia rally

Vice President Kamala Harris has tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate and the pair made their first appearance together in Philadelphia at an evening rally on Tuesday.  

Harris introduced Walz as "more than a governor" by running through the titles he’s held over the years.

Beyond that of husband and father, Harris said he was "Sergeant Major Walz" to his fellow veterans, "Congressman" to voters of southern Minnesota, "Mr. Walz" to the high school students he used to teach and "Coach" to the football players he coached.

"And in 91 days, the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: vice president of the United States," Harris said to cheers.

"I set out to find a partner who could help build this brighter future. A leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward, a fighter for the middle class, a patriot who believes, as I do, the extraordinary promise of America. A promise of freedom, opportunity and justice, not just for some, but for all. So, Pennsylvania, I’m here today because I found such a leader. Gov. Tim Walz of the great state of Minnesota," Harris said in her opening remarks.  

Walz soaked up the adulation of Harris and then turned it right around as he took the microphone, declaring to the vice president: "Thank you for bringing back the joy."

From there, he laid out his biography and took on their Republican opponents, former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, for their "backward agenda."

Revving up the crowd for the rigorous campaign to come, Walz told the roaring crowd, "We’ve got 91 days. My God, that’s easy. We’ll sleep when we’re dead."

Harris hopes Walz will help her shore up her campaign’s standing across the upper Midwest, a critical region in presidential politics that often serves as a buffer for Democrats seeking the White House. 

Walz is joining Harris on the ticket during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics. Republicans have rallied around former President Donald Trump after he was targeted in an attempted assassination in July. Just days later, President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign, forcing Harris to scramble to unify Democrats and decide on a running mate over a breakneck two-week stretch. 

Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Walz will spend the next five days touring critical battleground states, visiting Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit on Wednesday and Phoenix and Las Vegas later in the week. 

Who is Tim Walz? 

Walz was elected as Minnesota's 41st governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. His accomplishments include providing free school meals to all students in Minnesota, protecting reproductive freedom, cutting taxes for the middle class, and expanding paid leave for workers, among other priorities. 

In addition to being the governor, he is also the co-chair of the Democratic Convention Rules Committee. 

He was born in Nebraska, and after high school, he enlisted in the Army National Guard. He graduated from Chadron State College with a social science degree in 1989. He then spent a year teaching abroad before returning home to serve full-time in the National Guard and teach high school, as well as accept a coaching position. 

Walz is married to Gwen Walz. They moved to Mankato, Minnesota, where they both worked at Mankato High School, where he taught social studies and helped coach the Mankato West football team. 

He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, representing Minnesota’s First Congressional District, and was reelected for another five terms before running for governor of Minnesota. 

RELATED: Gov. Tim Walz tapped in as running mate: Here’s what top Dems, Republicans are saying

JD Vance comments about Walz

In his first public comments since his general election foe was set, JD Vance on Tuesday called Walz a choice that "highlights how radical Kamala Harris is." 

In a gaggle with reporters aboard his campaign plane upon landing in Philadelphia, Vance said Walz "is a person who listens to the Hamas wing" of the Democratic Party and "who wants to make the American people more reliant on garbage energy instead of good American energy." 

Vance is speaking more to reporters in Philadelphia on Tuesday ahead of campaign events across Midwestern battleground states on Wednesday, in a path that somewhat mirrors Harris and Walz’s planned trajectory. 

The Republican told reporters aboard his campaign plane Tuesday that he called Walz earlier in the day but "I left him a voicemail, I didn’t get him."

Will there be a debate?

It’s not clear if there will be a debate between Vance and Walz. 

Last week, Trump said he wouldn’t take part in an ABC News debate that had been on the books for September because he made that agreement with Biden before the president exited the campaign. 

Instead, Trump said he would debate Harris on Sept. 4 on Fox News, but the vice president hasn’t agreed to that time or network yet. 

The Associated Press and FOX 9 contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.