Voters in Milwaukee react to Walz as Democratic VP pick
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Democratic voters in Milwaukee shared their thoughts about Vice President Kamala Harris' new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, with CBS 58 at the Milwaukee Public Market on Tuesday.
Many Wisconsinites said they heard positive things about the governor of Minnesota, who is currently in his second term.
“It’s a nice middle-ground person and good Midwest values," said Joli Dallostio, who lives in Whitefish Bay. “He was in the National Guard, teacher, coach.”
With Democrats controlling both chambers of the state Legislature during his second term, Walz has enacted a number of Democratic priorities, including the protection of abortion access and gender-affirming health care, legalizing recreational marijuana, restricting gun access, providing free school meals to all kids and expanding paid family leave.
“I thought he was a very good choice," said Eric Anderson, who lives on Milwaukee's east side. "He’s a competent choice, which was important for me.”
The Milwaukee Public Market is no stranger to visitors from other states, and two voters from outside of Milwaukee shared some perspective on the election. Tyler Gaeth, who is from Minnesota but currently lives in Chicago, said he's been happy with Walz as governor, but wasn't expecting him to get the pick from Harris.
“I do think he’s done a lot of great things for Minnesota," Gaeth said. “But he wasn’t one of my top picks for the VP position.”
Walz faced intense criticism from Republicans during his first term as governor over his handling of the pandemic and the violent protests that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
On Sunday, before the announcement of Walz joining Harris in the campaign, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Professor Emeritus Mordecai Lee said Walz wouldn't have had the same leverage as some of the other considerations from larger swing states, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
"In the last couple weeks, he's gotten a lot of cable news coverage, he's sort of a folksy guy, a friendly guy," Lee said. "But I just don't think mathematically it brings anything to the table."
The Democratic ticket hopes these battleground states rally behind their neighbor up north to be successful in 2024.
“I think the Midwest, as a group, comes together," said Gaeth. "They support Midwesterners when that’s the choice.”
If Harris and Walz win the White House, he would become the third vice president from Minnesota, after Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.