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Speculation grows over potential vice presidential pick for Harris. Could Gov. Walz be a contender?
Political experts put Governor Tim Walz lower down on the list but his name has popped up on several lists of potential contenders.
With growing support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nominee, conversations are turning to potential running mates.
“The first question that the Harris campaign is going to think about is, ‘Who can help us win?’ This is about winning,” said Larry Jacobs, political science professor at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Jacobs said the Harris campaign will be looking for a candidate who can stretch the Democratic appeal to independent and swing voters, and maybe even some Republicans.
“I think there are going to be several candidates from the South who have demonstrated the ability as governors to win over Republican states,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs said some potential top picks include Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina.
“They have won repeatedly in Republican states. They actually have support from Republicans in their states. They have certainly a Democratic agenda, but they have a style and a moderate image that has really helped them,” Jacobs said.
North Carolina is also a battleground state, as is Arizona where Mark Kelly serves as a U.S. Senator.
“I think the party is always also going to be looking for candidates in the Southwest that have also been able to reach outside the Democratic base, have an appeal perhaps to some of those Libertarian voters who might be out there. Conservatives, as well,” Jacobs said.
Other names on the list include Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. But given both Newsom and Harris hail from California, it’s more unlikely. The 12th Amendment states both the president and vice president cannot be residents of the same state, meaning electors could only vote for one of them.
Another name popping up on lists is Gov. Tim Walz. On Monday, the governor told KARE 11’s news partner MPR News that he’s open to the idea.
“If I thought there was something that I could bring to the ticket and make a difference, especially in those states that we need to win, I’m certainly listening. But look, I’ve got the best job I could ever hope for — the honor of my life serving the people of Minnesota. I think though when I travel, a lot of states like what we’re doing here and I think that idea that we could do that in other places would be great,” Gov. Walz told Minnesota Now hosted by Cathy Wurzer.
KARE 11 reached out to the governor’s office and a spokesperson said, “The Governor is excited that Minnesota is receiving national attention for passing a historic legislative agenda. While he plans to do everything he can to defeat Donald Trump in November, he remains focused on his job as Governor.”
Jacobs said, “I think the question is going to be what does Governor Walz do for the ticket that is exceptional compared to the other options, unlike the southern governors who are winning in Republican states?”
There’s also the question of who could debate former President Donald Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance.
“The Harris Campaign is looking for a candidate who could be effective in taking on JD Vance in a way that reintroduces the Harris ticket to voters who are not now supporting the Democrats. That’s the key here. How can you broaden the appeal of the Harris ticket? And right now, I think they’ve got a real struggle. They are clearly the underdogs at this point,” Jacobs said.
Other names showing up in the media include Governors Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), JB Pritzker (Illinois) and Wes Moore (Maryland). Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan had been mentioned as a possible contender but Monday she announced she will serve as co-chair of Harris’ presidential campaign.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a plan to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on Thursday.
The resolution comes after decades of protests against the massive North Loop trash incinerator that burns roughly 365,000 tons of garbage a year.
“Today is a big step towards protecting the health of our communities and addressing longstanding environmental injustices that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said councilmember Robin Wonsley, in a statement.
The resolution calls for the incinerator to be permanently closed by Dec 31, 2027 and for the entire facility to be shut down by Dec 31, 2033.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
In October 2023, the Hennepin County Board signed off on a plan to close the HERC between 2028 and 2040, depending on how quickly the county can transition into a zero-waste system.
Of the garbage burned at the HERC, 75% comes from the city of Minneapolis. The other 25% comes from a dozen other cities in the area. The HERC produces enough energy to power more than 25,000 homes and half the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.
At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 10, Jenni Lansing with the City of Minneapolis Health Department provided analysis on the air pollution impacts of HERC. She said the health department supports working towards a zero-waste future and the ultimate closure of HERC, but said closing it now is not the solution.
“Overall emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by on-road and non-road, mobile and nonpoint sources, and these sources drive the cancer and non-cancer risks to health in Minneapolis,” Lansing said.
Hennepin County defines zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The snow is really coming down in some places with Maple Lake getting 3.5″ so far.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The wettest Halloween storm ever — is making mischief before little trick-or-treaters hit their neighborhood’s slushy streets.
Officials are reporting several power outages and car spin-outs.
There have been over 14,000 power outages, according to Xcel Energy.
The Minnesota State Patrol has responded to 169 crashes and 94 vehicles off the road, as of 2. pm. Thursday.
Meteorologist Beny Dery said an additional 1 to 2″ of snow is possible before things taper off this evening.
So far some of the totals around town are: 3.5″ Maple Lake, 3.0″ Buffalo, 2.5″ Dassel, 2.4″ Windom, 2.0″ St. Bonifacious, 1.5″ Maple Plain and 1.5″ in Bethel.
The snow is expected to let up from west to east and should wrap up for the metro between 5 to 6 p.m.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
