Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has expressed surprise at the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, where he and Vice President Kamala Harris failed to secure the White House. In an interview with Minnesota news outlet KSTP on Thursday, Walz reflected on the campaign, its challenges, and his feelings following the loss.
“It felt like at the rallies, at the things I was going to, the shops I was going in, that the momentum was going our way,” Walz said. “And it obviously wasn’t at the end of time.”
Walz suggested that their campaign’s “positive message” might not have resonated with voters as anticipated. “So, yeah, I was a little surprised. I thought we had a positive message, and I thought the country was ready for that,” he added.
Despite the defeat, Walz emphasized the honor of participating in the campaign. “It was a privilege to do that. It was a privilege to, when asked to serve, to serve with Vice President Harris,” he said. “I certainly got to see America.”
When asked if his role as Harris’ running mate helped or hurt the campaign, Walz deferred to history’s judgment. “History will write that. It wasn’t my decision to make. That was the Vice President’s decision,” he said. “When you ask the question, are there things you could have done differently? Since we lost, the answer is obviously yes.”
Walz also shared a memorable moment from the campaign trail, recalling the announcement of his candidacy alongside Harris at an event in Pennsylvania. “And then I’m standing at the curtain with the vice president of the United States with 15 or 20,000 people in the national press out there,” Walz recounted. “And she turns to me, and she says, ‘Well, let’s not screw this up,’ and we went out there.”
Now back in Minnesota, Walz said he is focused on continuing his work as governor. “Coming back here now and having the privilege to be able to continue to do this work feels really good and I’m actually really looking forward to this legislative session with some different dynamics around it,” he said.
Walz’s reflections provide insight into the challenges and emotions of a national campaign, underscoring the unpredictable nature of modern electoral politics.
