Democratic voters back Tim Walz

The past few weeks have been busy in US politics since Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket.

On Tuesday, she announced her pick for vice president: Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota and a former congressman, teacher and military veteran.

Josh Shapiro and Andy Beshear, the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, have entered the race, as has Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.

The BBC spoke to Democratic voters about their thoughts on the choice.

Vaughn, who grew up in a Republican family but votes Democratic, would like to see Walz debate Trump’s running mate, JD Vance.

He’s a teacher for 20 years, he’s a rural Democrat, I’m a teacher, I’m a rural Democrat. He’s a parent of IVF babies, I’m also a parent of infertile babies.

He’s a great pick, I think it will add a lot of energy to the campaign, he can bring a lot.

The Harris-Walz ticket will be extremely competitive with the Trump-Vance ticket.

I’d love to see the two vice presidential candidates debate. You have a guy who’s actually from rural America — who still farms — versus a guy who left his hometown as fast as he could and then went on to make a profit from it after finishing his Ivy League education.

Rural communities have [it] really tough under Trump. We lost the child tax credits, IVF has been under attack since Roe [the federal right to abortion] has been dismantled.

This gives hope that perhaps we will have strong advocates for aspects of life that are close to mothers, children and teachers.

Ms. Tye initially favored Mark Kelly as a vice presidential candidate, but her research on Mr. Walz changed her mind.

I’m excited. Walz brings something to the party that Shapiro doesn’t have and somehow Kelly doesn’t seem to have either.

He’s a fun, engaging guy who gives great interviews and has a resume that I think many Americans would appreciate.

I think she [Ms Harris] did a really smart thing.

A gun geek might appeal to some people who are actually hesitant to vote for an anti-gun Libertarian, but Walz comes from a hunting background and has a positive opinion of the NRA.

I really appreciate that he worked so hard with kids. I like that he facilitated a gay-straight alliance when he was a teacher and that he really worked to make sure that people had a living wage.

Kamala and Walz will defeat the Republicans.

Mr. Chandler believes Walz is the perfect choice to consolidate Democratic support.

Looking at all of Walz’s policies, he is a very progressive choice.

I really like that he stands up for unions, I really appreciate that he fights so hard for kids to get free lunches in schools in his state.

He is adamant about the need for peace in Gaza.

I’m actually happy with this pick because he’s more inspirational, he reminds me of a really nice grandpa, even though he’s basically the same age as Kamala Harris.

I would prefer someone who is a supporter of helping those in need. That’s what we need right now in this country.

The Harris-Walz ticket represents the American public at large more than the Trump-Vance ticket: this makes me feel more inspired about this election.

Ms. Mendenhall said she would reluctantly vote for Biden and Harris. Now she is excited about the Harris-Walz ticket.

I was surprised, it looked like this award was going to go to Josh Shapiro but I think Tim Walz is the better choice.

I don’t know much about him but I know he was a really good governor in Minnesota and seems to support progressive values.

I’m cautiously optimistic, I know this is going to be tough, but when it comes to comparing Walz to Vance – there really is no comparison.

I would love to see the two of them argue, I don’t know if it will happen, but I feel quite satisfied about it.

It’s amazing how in just a few weeks the outlook for the election has changed.

With Biden and Harris basically out of the picture, there’s at least a chance of winning for now.