Mississippi leaders react to Harris VP pick

JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-Minn.) as her running mate on Tuesday, and Mississippi leaders had much to say.

The Harris campaign sought to choose a candidate with a broad appeal among the American electorate. The midwesterner with a background as a high school teacher, football coach, veteran and former congressman checks many political boxes. However, the second-term Governor was criticized by several Mississippi politicians, including Mississippi’s second-term governor, Tate Reeves (R-Miss.).

“Today VP Kamala Harris’ decision on her running mate proves the chances of her moving away from her far left beliefs are the same as the number of votes she received in the Democrat primary: ZERO,” said Reeves.

Within his post, Reeves shared a video from RNC Research, which quoted Waltz saying, “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.”

Democratic candidate for Mississippi Governor Brandon Presley lost his 2023 bid for governor to incumbent Reeves. However, the longtime public service commissioner shared a personal anecdote about Walz.

“During the last days of my campaign for Governor, Tim Walz took time regularly to simply check in. No advice, no criticisms. Just wanted me to keep my head up and working. That was his old football coach instinct coming through. He’s an encourager and that’s what we need now more than ever,” said Presley.

Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also supports Walz.

“I am honored to have served in Congress with Gov. Tim Walz. His experience as an educator, governor, and veteran makes him an excellent choice for VP. I am excited to work with the Harris-Walz team to help save our democracy,” he said.

In contrast, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced her disdain for Harris’ new running mate.

“Of course Harris would pick a radical leftist approved by Bernie Sanders and his cronies,” she said.

Hyde-Smith’s post also linked to a GOP post on X, calling Walz “Meet the most radical, far-left vice-presidential nominee in U.S. history.”

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