I wanted to check in because there’s a lot going on.
Today is a really big day: Vice President Kamala Harris has picked Governor Tim Walz to serve as her running mate, and her Vice President once we work to elect her in November.
I think he’s a great pick.
I think Kamala Harris and Tim Walz together show what America is actually about, and what our values actually are.
We’re in a very exciting moment, but our success is directly correlated to how we translate this energy into actions.
Tim Walz served in the National Guard and was a teacher, football coach, and union member for 20 years before ever running for office. He then served in the House of Representatives for over a decade, and a lot of folks that served with him all say the same thing: he’s a good, genuine guy who understands the needs of working families, just like the one he grew up in.
As Governor, Tim had to work with a razor-thin majority in the Minnesota State Legislature, and he used that tiny majority to govern boldly: he signed universal school lunch into law, banned conversion therapy, protected abortion rights on the state level, lowered the cost of insulin to $35 per month, and ushered in many other powerful policy changes to serve everyday people.
Not a lot of leaders do that. When a governor only has a handful of votes for a majority, they are often advised to stay small and play it safe. To not rock the boat.
But Tim didn’t do that. He understands that true leadership is about using the power we have, when we have it, to change everyday life for the better. He swung for the fences to fight for rural families, women, LGBT+ communities, civil rights, and more. He governed in a way that said: “When you’ve got the keys, drive as far as you can.”
We are in a time where Republicans have tried to stoke stereotypes and divisions between rural America, urban America, and suburban America that simply aren’t true. I have had the privilege of seeing and connecting with many of you across the country, and the big thing that you learn is: most of us want the same things.
We care about putting food on our tables. About being able to afford rent, or a mortgage, or medicine. We care about being able to go to the doctor without going bankrupt, and having the right to choose over our own bodies.
We don’t get progress on anything if Donald Trump and JD Vance are within any shot of the presidency this November.
Now, with just 91 days until the election, we have to do everything we can to make sure that Kamala and Tim can keep building on that progress. They’ve always stood up for working people, and they always will. But they can’t do it alone.
Whether this is your first time voting or you've been an activist your whole life, this is the moment to pick up phones, to knock doors, to donate to the people you want to represent you, and organize for the future we want to see for our country.
Let’s get to work.
Pa’lante,
Alexandria
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