(CP) The Kamala Harris campaign announced Tuesday morning that she has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her vice presidential running mate.
A former high school teacher and military veteran, the 60-year-old Walz was purportedly selected by Harris to appeal to rural, right-leaning Midwest voters.
Harris' decision to select Walz to be on the Democratic ticket has received many reactions from both the right and left, including several Christian activists.
Here are five reactions from ideologically diverse Christian political activists to Harris' selection.
New York Times columnist David French shared his opinions on the selection of Tim Walz as Kamala Harris' vice presidential running mate on Threads.
"Trump has a higher floor than Harris (cultish base), but a lower ceiling. He's never demonstrated majority appeal. Harris has a higher ceiling (the Democratic coalition is bigger) and a lower floor. She doesn't have the same ride-or-die base," wrote French.
"The Walz pick strikes me as a 'keep our team together' pick with the knowledge that her team is bigger. I liked [Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro] as a 'make our team bigger' pick. But if Harris can keep the team together, she wins."
Conservative Christian writer and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey took to X to convey her objection to Harris and Walz being elected in November.
"Harris's & Walz's records show us exactly what they stand for," tweeted Stuckey. "Under them, you'll be poorer, less safe & less free. But at least they'll make sure doctors can kill full-term babies."
Examples of things that Stuckey said the two supported included "School shutdowns, vaccine & mask mandates," "Soft-on-crime policies that support violent riots & repeat criminals," "Mandating men have access to girls' bathrooms," "Abortion through all 9 months, paid for by the taxpayer," "Stifling free speech in service to LGBTQ & abortion lobbies," "Open border policy that will result in 1,000 more Laken Rileys," and "Economic policy that causes more inflation."
Timothy Head, executive director of the conservative Christian group Faith & Freedom Coalition, released a statement denouncing the selection of Walz.
Head said that while Democrats "will try to recast Tim Walz as a centrist," he believed that the public official was actually "the most left-wing governor in Minnesota's history.
"Walz's Minnesota has become an oasis for left-wing radicals, pro-abortion Democrats, criminals, and illegal immigrants, while hard-working Americans and faithful Christians have been hung out to dry," stated Head.
"As Governor, he enshrined abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, enacted the 'Trans Refuge' bill to criminalize therapy for same-sex attracted individuals and promote access to sex-change surgeries and cross-sex hormone treatments for minors, even inviting a 12-year-old 'transgender' child to be present at the bill signing."
Head also believed that the governor exhibited "weak leadership during the 2020 riots when Walz allowed Minneapolis to burn for three days before calling in the National Guard."
"He cannot be counted on to protect people of faith. In many ways, his policies and leadership are ruining Minnesota and as Kamala Harris' Vice President, he would do the same thing to our nation," Head added.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, a notable African American political activist, took to X to express his support for the selection of Walz as Harris' running mate.
Sharpton's statement included a video of Walz attending the funeral of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African American who was killed by a police officer in Minnesota in 2021.
"In 2020, we demanded justice for George Floyd in Minneapolis. Governor Walz listened to our calls and appointed Attorney General Ellison to lead the investigation. This showed me he is a man who listens and acts in the best interests of his constituents," tweeted Sharpton.
"We can trust Governor Walz to bring the same openness as Kamala Harris's vice president. He will be a reliable partner as she leads the nation."
Sharpton also believes that Walz "has shown he isn't afraid to confront those who seek to move our country backward, which will help us move forward" and that he will "support Kamala Harris as she aims to become the first Black female President, breaking significant barriers in the process."
Terry Schilling, president of the socially conservative American Principles Project, released a statement in response to Walz being selected as Harris' vice presidential running mate.
Schilling argued that Walz was "one of the few Democrats whose radical record rivals" that of Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling the ticket as advancing a "far-left cultural agenda."
"He has thrown his support behind efforts to eviscerate parental rights, inject gender ideology and other far-left ideas into schools, and open up girls' sports and private spaces to males. Under his watch, Minnesota has become one of the most dangerous states in America for parents," stated Schilling.
"It's critical that parents recognize the stakes, which is why our super PAC has committed to spending $18 million to inform millions of persuadable voters in swing states about the Democrats' extreme cultural agenda. Harris and Walz cannot be allowed to run or hide from this record, and we will make sure they are forced to confront it."
