Brown Walked So Walz Could Run

During her first presidential bid, Kamala Harris’top aides considered naming Sen. Sherrod Brown as a running mate if she securedthe nomination. Although she never got close enough to make that choice, the qualities they admired in Brown are reflected in her current pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The idea of selecting Walz was foreshadowed over five years ago. Harris’ team envisioned a vice president who was an avuncular, sometimes rumpled white man with broad appeal across the industrial Midwest. They wanted someone with a proven record in battleground states, credibility with progressives and organized labor, and the ability to both challenge Republicans and connect with Harris’ West Coast credentials through shared warmth and genuine banter.

In those early conversations, Harris' advisers saw these qualities in Brown. “They both fight for average people — the little guy,” one former Harris aide said, reflecting on the idea that never left the drawing board.

The Harris-Walz pairing might seem unexpected. Other potential picks included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. However, neither combined the attributes Harris saw in Walz. Harris' rapport with Brown influenced her natural choice of Walz, who had been a dark horse contender for vice president.

In her introduction speech of Walz, Harris emphasized their shared values despite coming from different parts of the country. She highlighted their common belief in lifting people up, not knocking them down, and seeing fellow Americans as neighbors, not enemies. A close ally of Harris noted that both Harris and Walz understand the language of working-class Americans, with Walz able to call out Republicans effectively.

While Walz and Brown have differences, such as Walz's background as a military veteran and teacher, and Brown’s Ivy League education, both reject Republican talking points. Brown champions higher wages and better benefits for workers, while Walz advocates for "family values" through support for expanded childcare, family leave, and free school lunch.

As governor, Walz passed significant legislation,including universal background checks on guns, legalized recreationalmarijuana, and a plan for 100 percent clean energy by 2040. He impressedHarris’ team with his energetic campaigning and lack of political ambitionbeyond serving as her vice president.

The Harris-Walz ticket resembles the 2020 Biden-Harris ticket but is even more amplified, with the campaign highlighting Walz's hunting and fishing hobbies and promoting a camo Harris-Walz hat. Walz’s background as co-chair of the Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus and his split from the NRA after the Parkland shooting also add to his appeal.

Personal rapport is important to Harris, who favors warm and approachable colleagues. She appreciates Walz's background as a teacher and mentor, recognizing his efforts to shape young people in Minnesota, including supporting a gay-straight alliance and leading a football team to success.

In Walz, Harris found a running mate who embodiesthe qualities her team once admired in Brown, making him a fitting choice forher campaign.