* AP…
Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday. That’s according to three people who spoke to The Associated Press.
In choosing Walz, she’s turning to a Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families. The people were not authorized to speak publicly about the choice and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The NYT, CNN and Reuters are all confirming Walz as Harris’ pick.
* NBC…
In picking Walz, who’s in his second term and also served 12 years in Congress, Harris will have as her No. 2 someone with a proven record of winning over white working-class voters in Rust Belt states while also boasting a robustly progressive record.
Democrats will hope that mix of attributes helps a Harris-Walz ticket shore up support in the onetime “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — longtime Democratic strongholds at the presidential level that Donald Trump flipped in 2016 and Joe Biden flipped back in 2020. This year, they’ve been seen as Biden’s, and now Harris’, most viable path to victory.
* Illinois Playbook…
Gov. JB Pritzker took part in the “Comics for Kamala” fundraiser on Monday alongside Nick Offerman, Ben Stiller, Kathy Griffin and others. The governor kept his humor self-deprecating. “I am a little nervous about being in the mix with all these incredibly funny individuals,” Pritzker said. “I just want you to know I got on because I’m sitting around waiting for my call to be vice president. My phone hasn’t rung for at least a couple of days now, but I’m hoping I get that call.” The event went on to raise more than $460,000.
…Adding… Governor JB Pritzker…
* Governor Pritzker’s statement…
Today, following Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Gov. JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“Governor Tim Walz is a proven leader who brings to public service the big heart and hard work of a Midwesterner. His unwavering commitment to improving the lives of working families and to lifting up the most vulnerable is why I’m so excited he will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President. Tim is a friend and fellow Midwestern governor, and I’ve been proud to serve alongside him. Vice President Kamala Harris once again has proven her leadership by choosing someone our party and the nation can be proud of.
“I am fully committed to electing the Harris-Walz ticket. I will do everything I can to ensure victory in November for Democrats up and down the ballot here in Illinois and across the country.”
…Adding… ILGOP…
Vice President Harris’s pick reflects the agenda she intends to bring to this nation: another radical leftist from a deep blue state who will continue the disastrous Bidenomics policies crippling the nation’s economy as we speak. At least Americans can breathe easy knowing that Illinois’s own out-of-touch leftist billionaire governor JB Pritzker won’t be a heartbeat away from the Presidency anytime soon. With leftists like these headlining the Democrat ticket, President Trump’s message of secure borders, safe streets, and prosperous communities will win in November.
* Comptroller Mendoza…
A U.S. Army National Guard veteran and high school football coach who lowered taxes on the middle class – Kamala Harris chose a real champion for American families. I love that Governor Walz signed a bill to stop Minnesota students from going hungry and that he came out against a Minneapolis defund-the-police referendum. Governor Walz funded Minnesota police departments, putting more cops on the street and investing in body cameras. An avid hunter himself, Governor Walz established universal background checks for gun purchases. Governor Walz came from humble beginnings like I did and he brings common-sense, middle-of-the-road Midwestern values to this campaign. He is a strong defender of women’s reproductive rights. I will proudly vote as a delegate for Harris and Walz and will work tirelessly for the next three months to make sure America wins with them at the helm.
* More…
* ABC Chicago | Gov. JB Pritzker speaks in Chicago while on shortlist for Kamala Harris’ VP pick: Briefly speaking before the American Bar Association conference, Pritzker did not talk to the media during his only public appearance on Monday. He told attendees he is concerned about the threats to the rule of law and democratic norms in the U.S.
* Crain’s | Union members go to bat for Pritzker as VP speculation ramps up: The letter, signed by over 100 members of local Chicago and Illinois unions, including members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America and the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union, circulated late last week and comes just days before Harris is expected to make her selection for vice president.
* WJBC | Illinois Senior Senator campaigns for Gov. Pritzker to be Kamala Harris’ running mate: Illinois’ senior U.S. senator, Democrat Dick Durbin, thinks Gov. JB Pritzker would be a worthy choice as Kamala Harris’ running mate. “I think he has shown as governor that he is a real leader,” Durbin told reporters at a ribbon-cutting in Springfield. “He would be a good ally of Kamala Harris, and I happen to know Juliana Stratton, the lieutenant governor, very well. She is a very impressive person.”
* N’DIGO | Q&A – Chris Welch- Speaker Of The Illinois House Of Representatives: What do you think of Governor Pritzker being the vice president? Welch: It would be good for Illinois. Having a direct White House connection would be excellent. I see nothing but positives. We have done well working together.
