Kansas governor says Walz is “epitome of the Midwestern dad”

Washington — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate is “the epitome of the Midwestern dad,” touting his profile as an asset on the ticket heading toward November’s election.

“You could put him at any state fair, on any Main Street, and certainly in any Friday night football game in rural Kansas, and he would fit right in,” Kelly said of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” Sunday. 

Harris tapped Walz, a popular two-term governor, as her running mate last week, before the two campaigned together across seven battleground states in the days that followed. Waltz, 60, is a former high school social studies teacher, coach, congressman and veteran. The pick has won praise across wide swaths of the Democratic Party, with newfound energy around the ticket following President Biden’s decision to step aside. 

When asked whether Walz’s ability to speak to the nation’s heartland and rural America has been overstated, Kelly made clear that she thinks it hasn’t been. 

“I think we also need to remember that while Minnesota is a blue state, he represented in Congress for 12 years a very red section of Minnesota,” Kelly noted, adding that “he understands rural Minnesota, he understands rural America, and I think that’s one of the reasons that he’s a huge asset to the Harris-Walz team.”

Kelly, a twice elected Democratic governor of a red state, outlined how the party can focus on wooing back rural America, where some demographics that had previously been aligned with Democrats have seen flagging support in recent years. She said it’s about listening to constituents and producing for them. 

“While we label everybody red or blue, the fact of the matter is here in Kansas, we’re Kansans,” Kelly said. “If you are a Democrat, but you share the values of most Kansans, you just need to get out there, talk with them, get them to know you, you to know them, and then they’ll develop that trust and put it in you to run the state.”