Who is Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor picked to be Kamala Harris' VP?
In a remarkable two-week period, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has ascended from a third-tier candidate to Kamala Harris' vice president pick.
The 60-year-old military veteran has amassed support from across the Democratic Party, progressive and moderate groups, in what has been a sophisticated whirlwind campaign.
But Walz is relatively unknown: An AP-NORC poll showed that nine in ten US adults do not know enough about him to form an opinion of the politician.
With only 89 days left until the US election, it remains to be seen how he will be perceived by the average American.
So, who is Harris' VP pick and what does he bring to the Democratic ticket?
ITV News explains.
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Walz, 60, was born and raised on a farm in Westpoint, a small-town in Nebraska.
At the age of 17, he joined the Army's National Guard- a role that took him around the country and on a deployment to Europe.
He then became a teacher, first in China, then in Nebraska and finally in Mankato, Minnesota, where he taught geography and coached the high school American football team.
This is also where he met his wife, Gwen Whipple, a fellow teacher. They have two children together.
During his time at the school, he was also the adviser of the first gay-straight alliance chapter in 1999, long before Democrats nationally stood for gay rights.
Walz ran for state governor in 2018 - and won. He does not shy away from issues that matter to voters in the Rust Belt.
He’s been a champion of Democratic causes, including union organising, workers’ rights and a $15-an-hour minimum wage. He won re-election in 2022.
In the time leading up to his selection as Harris’ running mate, Walz had been an outspoken defender of President Joe Biden.
When Biden did drop out, Walz endorsed Harris the next day and has since emerged as a reliable, energetic and cutting advocate for the presumptive Democratic nominee.
He has over the past week delivered a handful of memorable haymakers against Republicans, though his most notable contribution has been a determination to label the GOP, especially its presidential ticket of Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance.
Walz has referred to the duo as “weird dudes,” before lighting into their political agenda.
The phrase has stuck, becoming a central meme in the new, post-Biden version of the campaign, a development that is delighting Democrats and apparently frustrating many on the right.
During six terms in the US House, Walz championed veterans’ issues.
He’s also shown a down-to-earth side, partly through social media video posts with his daughter, Hope.
One video he posted last year showed the duo trying a Minnesota State Fair ride after they bantered about fair food and her being a vegetarian.
Where does Tim Walz stand on key election issues?
Over more than a decade in Congress, Walz has developed a fairly centrist voting record.
He has opposed a ban on same-sex marriage and supported abortion rights.
During his time as governor in Minnesota, he also signed into law a raft of expansive social welfare programmes such as free lunch for public school students, increased protections that allow workers to unionise, and expanded medical and paid family leave.
Walz has a more conservative position on gun rights, previously scoring a National Rifle Association endorsement.
However, the 60-year-old has since fallen out of favour with the gun lobby over his support for gun safety actions as governor.
Walz has also been criticised for his handling of the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota in 2020.
The Democratic governor was accused of delaying the deployment of the National Guard, failing to coordinate with local police, and downplaying the possibility of riots.
What is his relationship like with Kamala Harris?
While the two did not enjoy much of a previous relationship, aides told ITV News' US partner CNN that Harris grew increasingly enthused by how Walz carried himself and found a warm chemistry with him during a final meeting.
Harris was particularly impressed “by his authenticity,” a person close to the process told CNN.
When the duo appeared on stage together for the first time, at a raucous rally in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Harris introduced Walz as “the vice president America deserves”.
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