The selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the vice-presidential nominee for Kamala Harris checks a number of important boxes for the Democratic nominee and is likely to draw none of the controversy that, on the Republican side, has been attracted by JD Vance or might have attached itself to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Sen. Mark Kelly.

Beyond being the safe choice, Tim Walz is a logical choice. He hits a number of key constituency groups in ways that can only benefit the nominee. First and foremost, he has been a teacher. Given the importance of the teachers' unions, and educators more generally, to the Democratic Party, it’s significant that he has been a social studies teacher as well as a football coach. 

Beyond that, another positive is that he served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. When he was sworn in as a U.S. representative, Walz was the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress from either party. That might not seem like a big deal all these years later but for Harris to have a running mate from the Midwest who has been a teacher, a coach and served in the military – well, that checks a number of boxes that the former prosecutor and senator does not have and will not be able to easily attract on her own. 

There’s one other obvious benefit to Walz based on demographics. He has successfully represented a rural district and a rural swing district that has both been a tossup and leaned Republican in recent years.