Nine days before Vice President Kamala Harris choose him became his running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz received a text message from a fellow Minnesota Democrat.
“I have never lost to you at the top of the ballot,” wrote Rep. Angie Craig. When she explained the text to CBS News, she added “LOL,” saying he was teasing her about her status as a bisexual top contender for the project.
Craig, who represents the southern suburbs of Minneapolis in one of America’s most competitive and moderate House districts, is up against his own party leadership. Shortly after President Biden’s debate performance, he asked him out from the race.
After his departure, Craig championed Walz for VP.
“He can talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything,” he told CBS News. Craig said Walz is a political force in “many swing states and battleground districts.”
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The governor’s first month as the party’s vice presidential nominee has boosted optimism among Democrats about his prospects in two House races in battleground states where Walz has roots. In Minnesota’s 2nd District, Craig faces a stiff challenge as he seeks a fourth term.
And in Walz’s hometown of Nebraska, where he campaigned in the August midterms, Democrats are hoping his connections will help him oust the veteran Republican. Don Bacon. Both races are expensive, close and could have a major impact on the balance of power in the House, where Republicans cling to a narrow majority heading into the November election.
Republicans trying to win the seat have aggressively criticized Walz, questioned the quality of his record as governor and done their best to tie Democratic House candidates to the GOP’s anti-Walz message.
Craig said Walz had easily won his swing district when he was governor.
“He campaigned aggressively. He was seen everywhere,” he said. “I went turkey hunting with him earlier in the season; then we were at a gay rights gala the same weekend. His range was incredible.”
Craig’s challenger, Republican Joe Teirab, is trying to appeal to a large number of voters in District 2 who have a history of splitting tickets.
A former federal prosecutor, Teirab will do so Waltz over the response to the 2020 riots in Minneapolis after the killing George Floyd.
“Tim Walz failed on his record,” Teirab told CBS News. “And I think people will vote on that.” He said Walz has not shown enough support for law enforcement, and he believes policing and public safety will be a major issue in battleground races, including in Minnesota.
“People here understand that we must support law enforcement to maintain public safety,” Teirab said, adding that “after the 2020 riots, it will be more difficult for law enforcement departments to recruit and retain talent.”
Teirab brought his own record as a prosecutor during the campaign.
“I got to throw a lot of drug dealers behind bars,” he told CBS News. “I’m happy to be a part of the effort to stem that tide in Congress.”
However, Craig has the support of some law enforcement and announced several endorsements by groups including the Minnesota Police and Peace Association.
In Omaha, Nebraska, and the 2nd Congressional District itself, other battleground races include talk of Walz’s visit. The VP candidate, who grew up in a small town in Nebraska, campaigned in the 2nd District on August 17, underscoring the significance of Nebraska’s unique system of awarding presidential electors by congressional district.
Longtime Republican incumbent Don Bacon, who has a history of defeating conservative Republican primary opponents and Democratic general election challengers, accused Walz of moving to the left of politics in the years since he won the governorship in Minnesota.
“I think the support in this district is going to go away,” Bacon told CBS News. “But we have to be smart about sending the message.”
Bacon said he would be more concerned about his election prospects if Harris had instead chosen Gov. Josh Shapiro, a first-term Pennsylvania Democrat, as his running mate.
“I think Shapiro is a more threatening vice president than Walz,” Bacon said. “In the end, Walz’s roots or connections here may not be relevant enough. I think he’s helpful up front, but I don’t think he’ll be helpful in the long run.”
Bacon’s Democratic challenger, state legislator Tony Vargas, hopes Walz can increase the Democrats’ appeal to blue-collar voters in Nebraska. Vargas, like Walz, is a former school teacher. He told CBS News, “Seeing Gov. Walz on the ticket is something we’ve been talking about on my show. We need working-class people in Congress. Gov. Walz really supports organized labor.”
“We need examples of what working-class individuals are like in Congress and on the top ticket of the president in the executive branch,” Vargas said.
During Walz’s campaign stop in Nebraska last month, Vargas said he talked with him about the possibility of flipping the House from Republican to Democratic control.
Both parties claim to have momentum in the races for Minnesota and Nebraska House seats. The race for two seats has drawn millions in campaign spending.
Craig said the move to the top of the ticket has boosted Democratic candidates in some battleground states, but he still said his race will be a “tough fight” and “push hard.”
In several battleground districts, including Nebraska’s 2nd District, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has hailed fundraising success by challengers looking to defeat incumbents.
Walz’s addition to the presidential ticket underscores the impact of President Biden’s historic withdrawal from the presidential race. The reconfigured ticket has provided Democrats with enthusiasm, better polling, volunteers and donations.
Craig and Vargas told CBS News they have seen a significant uptick in enthusiasm among potential voters during door-knocking and campaign events.
Republicans say they expect the initial enthusiasm among Democrats to fade.
“President Trump and JD Vance need to focus on the economy, the border, crime, and they need to be pretty clear about what Harris and Walz have done in the past,” Bacon said. “And if they do, I think it’s going to be great.”
contributed to this report.
Scott MacFarlane
