Harris selects Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with her decision, after a breakneck selection process that began barely two weeks ago when she suddenly became the likely nominee.

Harris' campaign planned to make the formal announcement via video message before the pair heads to an evening rally in Philadelphia.

The decision marks another major milestone in the short period since the vice president moved to take over the top of the Democratic ticket following Joe Biden's July 21 decision to step aside. She has been scrambling to build out a campaign since then and to breathe new life into the Democratic race against Republican Donald Trump. She clinched the nomination formally on Monday night.

In choosing the 60-year-old Walz, she is 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.

Her selection of Walz was confirmed by three people familiar with the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not yet formally been made public.

Harris hopes to 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. The party remains haunted by Trump's wins in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016. Trump lost those states in 2020 but has zeroed in on them as he aims to return to the presidency this year and is expanding his focus to Minnesota.

Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Walz are set to appear together for an evening rally in Philadelphia, recalling a joint 2020 appearance by Biden and Harris in Wilmington, Delaware.

After Tuesday's trip to Pennsylvania, they will spend the next five days flying thousands of miles around the country touring critical battleground states. They'll visit Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit on Wednesday and Phoenix and Las Vegas later in the week.

Planned stops in Savannah, Georgia, and Raleigh, North Carolina, were postponed because of Tropical Storm Debby 's effects, and rain associated with it could also upend a scheduled stop in Durham, North Carolina.

Walz is joining Harris during one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics, promising an unpredictable campaign ahead. Republicans have rallied around Trump after his attempted assassination in July.

Just weeks later, President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign, forcing Harris to unify Democrats and consider potential running mates during an exceedingly compressed time frame.

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