VP Harris picks Walz as her presidential running mate

WASHINGTON – The re-energized national campaigns for the nation’s top political job were thrust into even higher gear this week as Vice President Kamala Harris began a nationwide campaign tour introducing her surprise running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a 60-year-old former schoolteacher, backed by a wide range of service in elected state and federal responsibilities. He is no stranger to tough challenges in his personal and professional life. Walz, the father of two children, son Gus and daughter Hope, born after seven months of IVF birth challenges, is a graduate of Chadron State College in Nebraska. One of four siblings, brother Craig, died at 43 when a tree fell on his campsite during a camping trip in Minnesota. In a text letter to campaign supporters early Tuesday, the Harris campaign described Walz as “a battle-tested leader who has an incredible record of getting things done for Minnesota families.” The two-term governor previously served 12 years in Congress and served as chair of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. As governor in Minnesota, Walz is credited with leading the revisit of legislative efforts to tighten police conduct laws in the wake of the police shooting of George Floyd. He also...