Western Mass. leaders, voters react to Tim Walz joining Harris on Democratic ticket

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. She made the announcement Tuesday.

Some western Massachusetts residents said they are not familiar with Walz' position on key issues, but are willing to learn.

Janet Masucci, of Gill, is an unenrolled voter. She said she will have to research Walz for herself.

"I understand her strategy for wanting to get someone from Minnesota but I haven't explored or learned that much about him yet so I don't have an opinion about him personally," she said.

The strategy Masucci is referring to is Walz' potential pull with midwestern voters.

David Dumas, of Buckland, describes himself as "typically a Democrat" and said he was surprised by the pick.

"I'm not too familiar with him but I'm not too politically oriented. I was figuring that maybe she would have gone with somebody more of a main name like Buttigieg but I can understand maybe for the mass appeal that maybe she didn't," he said, referring to U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

Nancy Hoff, of Ashfield, is unenrolled, but said she votes in every election. She thinks Walz is a relatable choice.

"He is everybody's uncle. He's everybody's guy. He is so real. And I think people are craving real, authentic people," she said.

Hoff, jokingly, said that some of her appreciation of Walz, could be partially due to her Minnesota family roots.

"He's pro-union, he was a teacher. I'm a former teacher... teachers are good people. And they care a lot about, not just the children, they care a lot about society... they want it to be a good place."

Walz is a military veteran and former high school teacher. He was first elected governor of Minnesota in 2018. Harris will introduce him at a rally this evening in Philadelphia.

Many Massachusetts political leaders are also expressing their support for Walz in press statements and on social media.

Both Sen. Ed Markey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have approved the choice on X.

Warren called him a terrific choice and said he is "one of the most effective governors in America."

Markey posted, "We now have the ticket that will bring us to victory on Election Day."

U.S. Representative Richard Neal, D-Springfield, is praising Harris' choice.

Neal said he knew Walz during their time together in congress.

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"He's very approachable. He's easy to talk to. I think that he will appeal to blue collar voters across the Midwest," he said.

Neal added that appeal will be crucial in reaching undecided voters come November.

"It's likely that 90-plus percent of the American people have already made up their minds as to who they're going to vote for. So these margins, which are tiny, I think probably inure to the benefit of presidential candidate Harris and the vice presidential candidate Walz because I think they both have some room here to grow with the persuadables," he said.

Worcester Rep. Jim McGovern said on X, he considers Walz and his family "dear friends."

But Walz wasn't everyone's first choice. State Sen. John Velis, of Westfield, said he preferred another name that had been floated as a possible pick.

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"I'm convinced we need more moderates out there, more centrists. I was partial to Governor Shapiro out of Pennsylvania. I think Pennsylvania is a really, really important state, some might say the most critical state," he said.

Velis said he's nevertheless excited about Walz. He noted that Walz previously won election to the U.S. House in a swing district. He said that bodes well for his ability to compromise with Republicans. Velis also praised Walz for his work on substance-use issues and his advocacy for veterans.