What Pennsylvania Republicans Think of Tim Walz

In Kamala Harris’ search for vice presidential running mate, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s ties to Pennsylvania were arguably his strongest selling point.

The state is widely considered a must-win for Democrats this year. Shapiro has won several of his recent state races by wide margins and is liked by some Republican and independent voters.

While there is little evidence that historically the vice presidential candidate’s home state has contributed to a state’s victory, Shapiro’s popularity in the state was seen as an advantage.

Harris’ pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, however, has a personal story that could have special appeal in the Midwest and rural parts of Pennsylvania, where President Joe Biden has won back enough Democrats to facilitate him win the state.

“People keep saying Pennsylvania is the Midwest, but Montgomery County is not,” said one Democratic state strategist. “So if you’re trying to keep working-class America interested in Joe Biden, Tim Walz does it more often than Josh Shapiro.”

By resigning, Shapiro could also free up more time to campaign for Harris in her home state without having to travel across the country.

“Obviously, the governor of Pennsylvania is better known and liked in Pennsylvania than the governor of Minnesota,” said Democratic strategist JJ Balaban. “But Pennsylvania is not the only swing state, and there are many reasons why Walz could be an asset to Democratic candidates here. He is a veteran and a teacher who represented a largely rural swing district… his ability to connect in rural and small-town areas is a real asset in Pennsylvania.”

What Pennsylvania Republicans Say

Republican Party officials across Pennsylvania, who once feared Shapiro would become the vice presidential nominee because of his differing views, on Tuesday celebrated Harris’ selection as their vice presidential running mate.

“Thank you, Kamala,” said Pat Poprik, chairman of the Bucks County GOP, where Republicans outnumber Democrats in one of the state’s most purple counties. “I want to send her a thank-you card.”

By choosing Walz, Harris made Poprik’s job of picking Republicans much easier because “she picked someone so liberal,” she said.

“Pennsylvania voters will see their governor passed over for someone who does not share” their moderate views, Poprik added.

Samuel Chen, a Republican consultant, said Democrats would be hard-pressed to pick a worse candidate than former President Donald Trump’s chosen vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio), who doubles down on Trump’s populist ideas. But Walz also doesn’t do much to facilitate balance the ticket. That’s in contrast to Shapiro, he said, who would facilitate Democrats attract the more disaffected and unaffiliated voters the campaigns need to win in swing states.

“There is some relief in the Trump campaign today,” Chen added.

Pennsylvania last voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 2016. Meanwhile, it’s been more than 50 years since deep-blue Minnesota voted for one, Chen added. Even in 1984, when 49 states voted for Ronald Reagan, Minnesota still voted blue (albeit for Minnesotan Walter Mondale).

“If you’re trying to expand the party to reach those undecided voters, those unaffiliated voters, you’re not going to do that by moving further left,” Chen said. “That’s an unforced error by the Harris campaign.”

Typically, presidential candidates will try to balance the field; they will choose someone with a specific strength to fill a perceived weakness in the candidate, said Berwood Yost, director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll. For example, Trump chose former Vice President Mike Pence to facilitate him reach conservative evangelical voters, and former President Barack Obama chose President Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate to fill a lack of experience.

If Harris were to choose Shapiro, she could have more freedom to shift her views on issues that matter most to undecided voters in swing states, like fracking, Yost added. Harris recently changed her views on fracking after previously opposing it.

“It’s easier to come and tell Pennsylvania, ‘I support fracking, here’s how.'” [Shapiro] “It helped me change my perspective,” Yost said.

However, Shapiro will remain Harris’s top deputy, said Brendan McPhillips, a senior adviser to the Harris campaign.

“The governor hasn’t gone anywhere. He will continue to actively campaign for the nomination,” McPhillips added. “He just issued a statement of support, and I’m sure that when Pennsylvania voters get to know Governor Walz, there will be a lot to love about him.”

Some Republicans were outraged by the way Shapiro was treated by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party that supported Walz.

“It’s sad that in a state known for moderation and common decency, the governor’s worst enemies have turned out to be members of his own party,” said Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is running for re-election this year.

Democrats, for their part, quickly began trying to deflect some of the Republican criticism of Walz by saying he was “too liberal,” allowing him to be himself: a veteran, a former teacher and coach, and a father from the Midwest, McPhillips said.