Kamala Harris officially chose her running mate on Tuesday morning, selecting Minnesota governor Tim Walz over Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro. Within minutes, Walz was trending online, mostly earning celebrations from politicians and voters alike.
Many praised both his personality and his accomplishments in office. Among those hailing the Walz pick was former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julián Castro, who called Walz “an excellent choice for VP.”
“He has executive experience and will be ready on day one,” Castro wrote in a post to X. “He has successfully implemented a popular, progressive agenda. He appeals to working class swing voters. And he can make the case against the ‘weird’ Trump-Vance agenda.”
Other hailed the strategy of the choice, arguing that picking Walz over Josh Shapiro showed more long-term confidence. BET host Marc Lamont Hill argued that the 2024 election is “very winnable” for Harris, but may not have been if she had chosen Shapiro.
“Too many recently energized voters would have been deflated again,” Hill wrote. I’m so glad her team saw that.”
And some celebrities were pleased, with both Lynda Carter — who played the original Wonder Woman — and “Community” star Yvette Nicole Brown celebrating the news.
Carter called Walz “a champion who understands America,” while Brown noted that “I have not been this excited about an election, our candidate, our VP and our chances to win in my LIFE — and I’m a grizzled, old lady!” Brown added that Harris’ pick was “the best pre-Birthday gift EVER!”
“What a delightful man running with a joyous woman!” she wrote.
Others pointed out that, if Harris and Walz win the election in November, it would make history on more local levels too. That’s because, if it were to happen, Walz would be replaced in his home state by Peggy Flanagan, who would be the first female Native American governor ever in the United States.
But, perhaps most importantly, many social media users immediately pointed out that Walz has multiple adorable pets, including a dog named Scout.
You can see more reactions to the news below.
