Walz choice surprises voters, experts. Reactions are in.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Local voters and political experts expressed surprise Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over other, more well-publicized rivals.

But local Democrats say the more they get to know about Walz, the more they like about him, even if another choice might have been better for Nevada and the west.

David Hatton, a member of the Sun City Anthem Democratic Club, said he didn't know much about Walz when news of his selection broke. But Hatton said his research revealed things to like.

"And now, I've done a little bit of checkup on him, I'm very impressed by everything that he seems to have accomplished in Minnesota, especially climate change activity," Hatton said. Minnesota draws 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources, Hatton said. That's an aggressive goal that other states — including Nevada — are striving to match.

(Voters in Nevada gave final approval in 2020 to a constitutional amendment requiring the state to use 50 percent renewable energy by the year 2030.)

Wendy Linow, a fellow club member, said she initially supported Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, said she was pleased with Harris's pick.

"I thought Senator Kelly's backstory as well as what he's been able to do in Arizona was good, but then Governor Walz came across my radar, and that man ticks off all the boxes," Linow said. "I couldn't be happier."

Those boxes include decades of service in the National Guard, working as a teacher and a coach and serving in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. A stain on that record — the response to the riots that took place in the wake of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis at the hands of police — Walz himself has acknowledged was "an abject failure."

Former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said Kelly would have had a quicker and more intuitive grasp of Nevada issues — including water and federal land ownership — not to mention a resume that included service as a U.S. Navy pilot and a NASA astronaut.

But he said Walz had a good record to run on, and would help Democrats win the so-called "blue wall" states that include Minnesota.

"I think overall Minnesota has done well," said Sisolak, who knows Walz from their days serving as governors. "He's got a great resume and I think he's going to bring a lot to the ticket and I hope he'll help in those Midwestern states where they're counting on him."

As for Walz himself, Sisolak said he was quiet, not boisterous, and the kind of person you'd want to have a beer with and chat about the issues.

Meanwhile, former Nevada Republican Party chairwoman Amy Tarkanian said that while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Kelly would have been tough for former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance to beat, Walz's everyman style was beneficial to the ticket.

"They keep calling him 'America's dad.' He was a football coach. He was a teacher," Tarkanian said. "And so I think they're trying to make the package seem like they're relatable. They're being deemed now America's fun aunt and fun uncle."

Nevadans will get their first look at the ticket on Saturday, when Harris and Walz are scheduled to visit the Silver State for a campaign rally. It will cap a series of rallies in swing states across the country, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona.

Reactions to Harris's choice

Reactions to Vice President Kamala Harris's selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate began pouring in Tuesday morning, with Republicans attacking him and Democrats embracing the choice.

Harris and Walz are scheduled to visit Las Vegas on Saturday, wrapping up a tour that will take them across several battleground states with the election just 91 days away.

The choice was a risk for Harris, who also considered Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro for the post. Democrats badly need to win Pennsylvania in order to win the White House, and Shapiro would have helped to win that state.

Harris also considered neighboring Arizona's U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly for the post.

Daniele Monroe-Moreno, chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party, praised Walz's education, military and political background.

“Vice President Kamala Harris has been an incredible partner to President Joe Biden and the State of Nevada, leading the fight for women’s reproductive health care, casting the tie breaking vote in the United States Senate to pass the historic Inflation Reduction Act, creating thousands of good-paying jobs here in Nevada, and fighting to protect Social Security and Medicare for our seniors.

"Vice President Harris knows what it takes to be a good partner in government, and her selection of Governor Tim Walz with his background in education, military service, and leadership as Governor, former member of Congress, and small town mayor is a strong statement to continue building unity across the United States. The road to the White House leads through Nevada and the Silver State is uniquely equipped to deliver the White House for Vice President Harris. I look forward to welcoming Vice President Harris and Governor Walz to Nevada this Saturday.”

The progressive group MoveOn had a similar take:

“Governor Walz has spent his career fighting to make healthcare more affordable, our democracy stronger, and to level the playing field for middle-class families. Walz will be an excellent partner for Vice President Harris to protect abortion and reproductive health care and help pass a people-first agenda that will uplift communities and our futures, just as he has in Minnesota," said MoveOn Political Action Executive Director Rahna Epting.

“Mobilizing behind and supporting the Harris-Walz ticket, along with the election of progressive champions down the ballot, is the only way to stop the venomous Project 2025 MAGA takeover that pledges to eat away at our fundamental freedoms. MoveOn members know the Harris-Walz ticket is a vital boost in our efforts to ensure neither Donald Trump nor his extremist agenda gets anywhere near our bodies, let alone the Oval Office.”

Former President Donald Trump's campaign was quick to react as well, with campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denouncing the choice:

"It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State. While Walz pretends to support Americans in the Heartland, when the cameras are off, he believes that rural America is ‘mostly cows and rocks’. From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide. If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare."

And the Republican Jewish Coalition had a similar dim view of the choice. In a statement, the group's chairman, Matt Brooks, said:

"Today, California radical Kamala Harris selected far left liberal Tim Walz as her running mate. This is the same guy who famously said, 'One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness.' Seriously?

"This isn’t the Democratic Party of your parents or grandparents. Let’s be clear: if elected, the Harris-Walz ticket would be, by far, the most left-wing President and Vice President in US history.

"Of particular concern for the American Jewish community is Governor Walz’s embrace of the most vicious anti-Israel and antisemitic Member of Congress, Ilhan Omar. Walz has endorsed and supported this notorious Squad member for years, championing her as a 'progressive leader' in Congress. This is the same disgraceful Ilhan Omar who has trafficked antisemitic conspiracy theories, falsely accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, and voted against funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system that is currently protecting countless innocent civilians in Israel from terrorist rockets."

The Nevada Republican Party also criticized the choice:

“The selection of Tim Waltz represents a continuation of the policies that have led to government overreach, a higher cost of living, open borders, and a disregard for the values that make America exceptional. Nevadans have experienced firsthand the negative effects of these policies, and a Harris/Waltz ticket will further exacerbate the problems we face due to failed Democrat leadership.

"In stark contrast, the Republican Party remains committed to promoting economic growth, protecting individual liberties, and ensuring a government that serves the people rather than special interests and radical left-wing agendas. President Donald J. Trump and Senator JD Vance offer a vision, and a proven track record, for a more prosperous and safer America."

But the 2016 Democratic nominee, former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady Hillary Clinton praised the choice on X:

"I'm thrilled to see Tim Walz join the Democratic ticket. From providing free meals for schoolkids to implementing paid family leave in Minnesota, he's about doing good in all the ways you can. He'll be an incredible partner to our first woman president. Let's go win this," she wrote.

And the progressive website DailyKOS published an opinion piece saying the attacks on Walz as a radical were falling flat.

"They’re reaching into their tired old playbook of attacks, trying to keep the fear ginned up in their MAGA base. It would have been the same press release and same fundraising email for any of Harris’ potential picks. But it’s particularly ineffective against this guy," wrote Joan McCarter on the site.