Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz talks Kamala Harris, nomination process and if he’d like to be vice president

MINNEAPOLIS — Since President Biden ended his reelection bid Sunday, Vice President Harris has already broken a fundraising record, locked down hundreds of delegates and secured critical endorsements in her efforts to become the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. One of those key endorsements includes Minnesota’s governor.

Gov. Tim Walz, who is chair of the Democratic National Convention rules committee, told WCCO’s Esme Murphy on Monday night that the nomination process will be open to other candidates.

“Anybody can run,” Walz said of the nomination process. “This Wednesday we’ll set the rules. There will be three days after that, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week. Anyone who wants to can get 300 delegates. If you can get 300 delegates on your side, your name will be put into nomination.”

Walz says, at that point, those being considered for nomination will then have three days to make their case to delegates. On Aug. 1, the voting will begin and whoever gets the most votes and reaches the threshold number becomes the party’s nominee.

According to Walz, no one outside of Harris has yet to put their hat into the ring.

“Everyone is welcome,” he said.

Walz, whom at least one other Minnesota Democrat has floated as a potential vice presidential candidate, was asked if he is being considered for the role.  

“I do not know that,” he said. “I spoke to the vice president on Sunday, shortly after the announcement by President Biden, and she just made it clear that she wants to earn the endorsement.”

Walz is among other Democrats being floated as potential options, including Gov. Josh Shapiro of swing state Pennslyvania and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, which has been a reliably Republican state in presidential elections.

But does the two-term governor, who has seen progressive wins with Democrats in control of the state legislature, want to be vice president?

“I don’t think you turn down a job that you haven’t been offered, but I have the best job in the world in being the governor of Minnesota,” Walz said.

He says Harris’s record-breaking fundraising on Monday is evidence of small donors’ and voters’ enthusiasm for the new likely Democratic nominee.  

Walz spoke with the media on Tuesday morning at an event announcing a $200 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce the carbon footprint of the state’s food system. When asked by reporters if he was being vetted as a possible vice presidential nominee, he reiterated that he had spoken with Harris and told her that he would “be there to do anything [he] can do to help,” but didn’t go into any further details.

“I’m not going to talk about the specifics that were in on that, and at this point in time we’re just going to leave it at that,” he said.

But when a reporter noted that his name was being floated as a contender, Walz laughed and said “I’ve seen it out there and it’s a little weird!”

He noted that Harris was a “great candidate,” and that he feels a “burst of energy” in the campaign.

“There’s lots of excitement. I think things have changed when Donald Trump was tweeting at me today, so that tells me maybe we’ve changed the discussion in America.”

Trump did mention the governor on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, criticizing Fox News for having Walz on one of their programs.

Walz has been appearing on national cable news this cycle as a campaign messenger for the one-time Biden campaign, and now the Harris campaign.