Why Did Harris Pick Walz? His Policies and Midwest Appeal Stood Out.

As Kamala Harris was landing on her choice of a vice-presidential candidate, a few things about Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota brought him to the front of the pack.

According to two people directly familiar with her decision-making, the economic policies Mr. Walz has championed as governor, including a statewide child tax credit and a paid-leave program, are the kinds of measures a Harris administration would try to enact on a national scale.

In 2023, Mr. Walz also signed a bill that codified the protections of Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion, into law in his state. Abortion rights has been a cornerstone of Ms. Harris’s advocacy work as vice president.

Of course, the selection of Mr. Walz as running mate does not guarantee that any of his work at the state level could be replicated nationally should Ms. Harris win election in November.

President Biden has called for an expanded child tax credit. He has tried to get a paid-leave initiative into a far-reaching social spending bill. And he has all but begged voters to elect more Democratic lawmakers who could help him get the congressional majority needed to get the protections once afforded by Roe passed into law. None of that has happened yet, and it would remain an uphill battle should Ms. Harris become president.

With three months to go before the election, Ms. Harris and her advisers also decided that she needed someone who would have appeal in Midwestern states — including Michigan and Wisconsin — that are considered must-wins for her. Ms. Harris and her team liked his straight-talking style, including when he called former President Donald J. Trump and his fellow Republicans “weird.”

Mr. Walz is thought to be someone who could match up well against Senator JD Vance of Ohio, Mr. Trump’s vice-presidential candidate and a fellow Midwesterner, in a debate.

And several people close to the decision-making process said that Ms. Harris simply connected the best with Mr. Walz. Over and over again during the selection process, loyalty was emphasized as one of the most important criteria for Ms. Harris, who did not have a close and trust-driven bond with Mr. Biden, at least not immediately.

Mr. Walz’s potential appeal to Midwesterners — and to Ms. Harris — goes beyond his stylistic approach.

He is a military veteran who served in the Army National Guard, and a hunter who has spoken of his gun ownership. In 2016, Guns & Ammo magazine included him on its list of top 20 politicians for gun owners. But after a teenage gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school in February 2018, Mr. Walz spoke out in favor of an assault weapons ban.

Mr. Walz, who was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018, also spent two decades in the House. He comes to the ticket with the support of several House Democrats.