Tim Walz, a ‘Snowman Melting,’ Tests His Appeal in the Sun Belt

The Minnesota governor was picked for his appeal to the white working-class. The Harris campaign hopes he can reach other demographics, too.

Listen to this article · 7:36 min Learn more

Share full article

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks at a presidential debate watch party in Mesa, Arizona, last week.

When Vice President Kamala Harris selected Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, many Democrats hoped that his folksy charm, quick-witted jabs at Republican opponents and “Minnesota nice” values would draw in white, working-class voters from across the Midwest — and potentially beyond.

That theory has been put to the test in recent weeks as Mr. Walz has hit the campaign trail, embracing his role as a retail politician and attack dog against former President Donald J. Trump at stops not only in the blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but also in Sun Belt battleground states like Arizona and Nevada. This week, he will head south to campaign in Georgia and North Carolina.

“I feel a bit like a snowman melting,” Mr. Walz said at several stops during a sweltering campaign swing in the Southwest last week, a line that drew chuckles from college students in Tempe, Ariz., and wealthy donors in Las Vegas alike.

ImagePeople wait to hear from Democratic vice-presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at a presidential debate watch party in Mesa, Ariz. last week.Credit…Caitlin O’Hara/Reuters

As he has traveled through the nation’s battlegrounds, Mr. Walz has worked to overcome skepticism from moderate voters about Minnesota’s leftward shift by presenting liberal policy priorities like student debt relief and housing tax credits as common-sense, neighborly goals. And across the Sun Belt in particular, he has had to try to shore up support among a much younger and more racially diverse electorate — traditionally Democratic groups with whom Republicans have been making inroads in recent elections.

On the trail, where he has worked to pump up the Democratic base at events and to rally the faithful with visits to campaign offices, he often works to forge connections with his audiences, and individual voters, with a down-to-earth demeanor and a dose of humor.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.