Opinion | He Stands Out in a ‘Sea of Elites and Strivers’: Our Writers on What Tim Walz Brings to the Ticket

On Tuesday, Kamala Harris announced that Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, was her running mate. We asked eight of our columnists and contributors to assess the pick by rating Mr. Walz on two metrics: how much he’ll help Ms. Harris against Donald Trump and how much enthusiasm he’ll generate.

What excites you about the pick?

Josh Barro, author of the newsletter Very Serious Tim Walz is good on television, and his roots as a high school teacher and football coach from the rural Midwest will offer a good contrast to the Republican ticket. And he does no harm — what voter is open to Kamala Harris but finds Walz too off-putting to elect?

Charles M. Blow, Times columnist Walz made “weird” happen. His affable and relatable style on the campaign trail helped him distill the current conservative movement into a single word, “weird,” that has been a surprisingly effective attack line. He brings a plain-talking, labor-friendly, Midwestern appeal to the ticket. He is Joe Biden, 20 years ago.

Jane Coaston, contributing Opinion writer We have never had a defensive coordinator in the White House or on the campaign trail. Excited to hear how the 4-4 will work nationally.

Gail Collins, Times columnist Teacher and football coach!

Michelle Cottle, political writer for Opinion The guy looks natural rocking a camo baseball cap and grubby T-shirt — a big plus for a party that has trouble relating to regular folks. Plus, he clearly knows how to have fun in the attack-dog role without being the least bit nasty.

Liam Donovan, Republican strategist An affable character with an avuncular charm befitting a career teacher and coach. Walz’s background as a senior enlisted National Guardsman and his unique path to the governor’s mansion stand out in a sea of elites and strivers. Odd-couple pairing adds cultural and optical balance to the ticket.