Colorado conservatives launch attacks on Harris VP nominee

Some Republicans in Colorado and nationwide are celebrating the choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.

Why it matters: The GOP sees Walz as an easier target than other contenders as they try to regain momentum after a rough few weeks for the party (and their own VP candidate), Axios' Stef Kight and Juliegrace Brufke write .

State of play: The Colorado GOP didn't publicly respond to the announcement Tuesday. But the state's most prominent Republican leader has begun launching attacks on Walz, painting him as far-left and aligning him with progressives like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

What they're saying: "If Bernie Sanders were a governor, he'd be Tim Walz," Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert wrote on X .

• "Kamala Harris put an avowed socialist on her ticket. It's now truly MAGA vs Marxism," Boebert, who's running in the 4th District , added in another post .

The intrigue: Kristi Burton Brown, the former chair of the Colorado GOP, said on X that Harris picked Walz in part because he's "not Jewish," which some say could help avoid further fueling the Gaza protests.

• Walz, she wrote, is also "not a young upcoming star who can compete for attention," comparing him to other VP short-list contender Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The other side: Colorado's top Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. Jared Polis , were quick to back Walz on Tuesday.

• So was the Colorado Democratic Party. Just hours after Walz's announcement, it sent a fundraising email to supporters, inviting them "all aboard the Harris-Walz ticket!"

What's next: As Republicans continue to make their case against him, Walz is likely to face mounting criticism over his handling of the 2020 George Floyd protests and his response to the pandemic , Axios' Erin Doherty and Andrew Solender write .

The bottom line: The Democratic and Republican presidential tickets are now complete.

• And Colorado's governor, who was open to running as Harris' VP but doubted he would be picked , won't be a candidate this year as some suspected .