After Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, Fox News Digital asked Americans in New York City, Detroit, and Milwaukee how much they actually know about the largely unknown figure and whether him being on the ticket affects their vote.
Most of the people asked weren’t familiar with Walz or his record as governor of Minnesota, which hasn't gone Republican in a White House race since 1972. However, those who knew about Walz were either disturbed or excited about his progressive record.
"He’s far left, not going to help the country," one man from Detroit told Fox this week.
Harris announced Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, passing over prominent and more well-known contenders like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.
Walz, 60, is a former U.S. Army National Guard member, a former teacher, and former high school football coach who served in Congress before becoming governor. Harris’ campaign is selling him as a "folksy" and relatable Midwestern dad.
However, Walz has also been a proponent of left-wing policies and won praise from progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. D-N.Y. As governor, he signed unlimited access to abortion into state law and signed an executive order protecting the rights of kids to undergo gender-altering medical procedures. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz was criticized for instituting aggressive lockdowns and establishing a hotline for Minnesotans to snitch on their neighbors.
But he is still a blank slate to many Americans. One poll this week found 71 percent of respondents didn't have an opinion of him.
"I don’t really know much about him or his experience," Sean from Detroit admitted, though he did acknowledge that he believes Walz seems suited to appeal to Harris’ liberal base. "She’s trying to go to her audience on the left more and more, rather than just kind of going towards the middle."
VP KAMALA HARRIS PICKING GOV. TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE MET WITH MEDIA SCORN: ‘SUCH A WEIRD CHOICE’
"I don’t know a ton about him policy-wise. I mean I know that he’s the Minnesota governor. Is that right?" Alina from Milwaukee told Fox. She pointed to "a lot of things going on" in the state that make her wary of the governor. "So I don’t know if I have a very optimistic view of him, and how he’s handled that."
When asked if the choice affected her vote, Alina replied, "To be honest, I don’t know if I would vote for her regardless of who she chose. I mean, I think somebody more moderate would have been a better choice."
Jack from Detroit said, "I haven’t heard too much on him. Everything has happened so quickly with her and having the spot for the Democratic nominee. We haven’t had enough time to really understand more about who she’s selecting."
William from Milwaukee said he knows "very little" about Walz, and noted, "It won’t change my vote."
"I think she went with the older guy," he added, laughing.
"I don’t know who that is. I’ll be honest," Xavier from Brooklyn said when asked about Harris’ running mate.
Angelica from Milwaukee said, "I have a really good feeling about him and how he presents, and how he’s also been running Minnesota. They’ve been doing really well, so I’m very excited to have someone new into the mix of this campaign."
Angelica noted that she originally was hoping Shapiro would get the nomination but said Walz being the pick "won’t impact my vote right away."
Hannah from Detroit seemed ecstatic about the pick.
"I think he’s cool! I like him!" she said, adding, "I saw some clips of him speaking. He seems like a boss. I also love that he’s a teacher."
Hannah, who’s from Michigan but currently lives in New York City, also praised some of Walz’s progressive policies, saying, "I think he is for gun control, which I think is really cool."
"So honestly, I am unfamiliar with this person," Alyssa from Milwaukee admitted, adding that when it comes to changing her vote or not, she "would have to be a little more informed on who this person is."
