On the first day of the Republican National Convention, Fmr. President and Republican Nominee for President Donald J. Trump chose Senator JD Vance of Ohio to be the Republican Nominee for Vice President of the United States. Across the aisle, Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be the Democratic nominee for Vice President. For the first time in almost 30 years, two enlisted service members will battle each other for the Vice Presidency.
What these particular VP nominee choices highlight is that both Presidential Candidates Trump and Harris are going to be making big plays in the Midwest. The American Midwest, at least politically, comprises Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. With Indiana being solidly red and Illinois being solidly blue, that leaves 5 states left for the nominees to duke it out before Election Day. The VP choices are likely the biggest decisions of each campaign’s Midwest strategy to victory. But what makes each candidate appeal and why were they chosen?
JD Vance became Ohio’s Senator following his victory in the 2022 Senate election, less than two years ago. Prior to his election, Vance served as a US Marine for four years and did a tour in Iraq in 2005. After being honorably discharged, Vance went on to further his education, graduating OSU in 2009 and later, Yale Law School in 2013. Vance gained national attention with his book, a memoir, Hillbilly Elegy which was later turned into a film. In his memoir Vance wrote of his rough upbringing, marked by poverty and abuse as well as his mothers drug addiction. He said he was raised primarily by his grandparents, Papaw and Mamaw, who moved to Kentucky’s Appalachian portion. As Ohio’s Junior Senator, Vance has worked on a number of issues personal to him, as well as infrastructure following the East Palestine train derailment in 2023, in which he criticized the Biden Administration’s delayed response and politicization of the issue. His youth, background, and quick ascension to the national stage made him a serious contender for Vice President before Fmr. President Trump made that official.
“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Fmr. President Trump said in a much awaited TruthSocial post.
In his 2022 Senate Race, Sen. Vance found himself in a difficult primary, losing to Fmr. Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel. Clearing the field of the candidates, Fmr. President Trump endorsed Vance, propelling him to win the Republican Senate Primary. Trump purportedly fell in love with Vance’s rural America story, which endeared Vance to many Ohioans. Vance went on to win the Senate election against Democratic Nominee Tim Ryan. According to Donald Trump Jr. who was reportedly heavily favoring Vance to be the VP pick, Senator Vance’s reaction and fight for the East Palestine community was a big factor and showed leadership in action. At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Ohio’s Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was given the honor to open the floor for nominations for VP with Republican Senate candidate for Ohio, Bernie Moreno formally nominating Sen. Vance to be President Trump’s running mate.
Vance’s opponent for Vice President: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The Nebraska born Minnesotan graduated Chadron State College in Nebraska before moving to Minnesota. Before his Congressional run, Walz was a highschool teacher and football coach. Walz also served as a guardsman in the Army National Guard, enlisting in 1981, before discharging before his unit was activated for service in Iraq in 2005. Although Walz said he would deploy if called upon, he retired from the Army Nat. Guard before activation to focus on his congressional campaign citing the Hatch Act, which bars federal government employees from participating in partisan politics. Walz would serve as a US Congressman until 2019 when he became Governor of Minnesota following the 2018 Minnesota Gubernatorial Election.
Walz was among many names on the short list for consideration as VP Kamala Harris’ running mate following President Biden’s shock announcement in July that he would not be running for President. PA Gov. Josh Shaprio, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and AZ Sen. Mark Kelley were considered but the Harris campaign ultimately decided on Gov. Walz for the compatibility of his relationship with Vice President Harris. Additionally, with Gov. Walz being from such a politically important swing state like Minnesota, the choice was strategic so as to not only appeal to Minnesotans with a familiar face, but also to the Midwest for the down-to-earth qualities Gov. Walz has been described with.
Breaking it down, both candidates have big pros and naturally, big cons. Both come from the Midwest, a politically volatile region of the United States that can very much decide the Presidency as it did in 2016 and 2020. Both serve in influential positions that impact their regions and the country. Both are former service members, the first time in nearly 30 years, which politically has huge positive potential. Additionally, both have backgrounds that play well into the concept of the American Dream; Walz having worked on a Nebraska farm and been a high school teacher while serving his country in the National Guard, and continuing service as a congressman and later Governor, while Vance comes from a troubled background and overcame those obstacles, served his country as a US Marine, made his way into a prestigious law school and graduated, before writing a bestseller highlighting the issues that as Senator, he would tackle to help the region that made him. Both an incredible story of the potential of the American Dream.
As stated prior however, both candidates have major baggage. JD Vance has afterall, only been a senator for less than 2 years, by political standards, a big miscalculation when up against Fmr. Congressman and incumbent Governor Tim Walz. Additionally Vance has been criticized for past comments, once calling rape and incest ‘inconvenient’ and saying the government is being driven off course by ‘childless cat ladies.’ These comments have led the Harris campaign to adopt Gov. Walz’s response to JD Vance as VP, “He’s just weird.” Many fear that Sen. Vance’s lack of political experience are serious concerns considering the Office of Vice President is just a heartbeat away from the Presidency, and President Trump is 78 years old. Furthermore, Vance has in the past, prior to his senate run, criticized President Trump and once self identified as a ‘Never Trumper guy,’ leading some to have concerns over how well he’d work with President Trump. Less serious, but frustratingly childish attacks on Sen. Vance includes accusing him of wearing eyeliner, as well as accusations that Sen. Vance has had weird conduct with couches – both unfounded.
Governor Walz also comes with baggage. Kamala Harris was listed on nonpartisan website, GovTrack, as the most liberal senator in 2019. She has been called the most liberal Vice President in history, frequently favoring what even democrats call their more extreme positions. Being that Vice President Harris is already being labeled as far left, many have criticized her decision to bring Gov. Walz as a running mate, given he has stated many times that he identifies with the far-left crowd. Walz once said he was so pro-abortion that Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi told him to ‘cool it.’ Furthermore, Walz has implied that he embraces his Republican critics labeling him a socialist.
“One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness” Governor Walz once said defending his far-left progressive label.
The problems with Walz go further, even damning, as stolen valor accusations continue against Gov. Walz. His fmr. Battalion commander wrote a scathing blast of Gov. Walz as Harris’ VP running mate, taking swings at the Minnesota two term governor, especially on the fact that Gov. Walz has referred to himself as a retired Command Master Sergeant, which he only briefly served as. The Kamala Harris for President website even changed Gov. Walz’s bio so as to quietly backtrack on his claims. Additionally, at an event, Gov. Walz once claimed he carried weapons ‘in war’ while arguing that military-grade weapons shouldn’t be available to the public. The Harris’ campaign responded that the Governor ‘misspoke’ given that Tim Walz never served in combat. Republican social media users have also unprovenly claimed that, years ago, Walz had his stomach pumped as a result of ingesting a gallon of horse semen – assumedly as a response to Walz’ false promotion of the couch accusations against Sen. Vance. Either way, the tit-for-tat approach from either campaign is likely to not play well for serious voters who are struggling to make ends meet, deal with government overreach, have affordable groceries, buy a house, or pay for gas.
