Tim Walz: How Kamala Harris’s ‘Midwestern dad’ running mate went to bat for Swifties

Walz has been selected as the running mate of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris

Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz signed a so-called “Taylor Swift Bill” into law earlier this year after the then-Minnesota Governor struggled to buy tickets for the pop icon’s record-breaking Eras Tour.

Walz, 60, has just been selected by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as her running mate.

In June, Walz signed House File 1989 — a reference to Swift’s birth year and an album with that title — at First Avenue, a popular concert venue in downtown Minneapolis.

The law is intended to guarantee people buying tickets online for concerts, sporting events and other live events in Minnesota more transparency and protection.

The introduction of the law was prompted by the frustration Walz felt at not being able to buy tickets to Swift’s 2023 concert in Minneapolis.

It requires ticket sellers to disclose all fees upfront and prohibits resellers from selling more than one copy of a ticket, among other measures. The law applies to tickets purchased in Minnesota or other states for concerts or other live events held in Minnesota.

Taylor Swift and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has been selected as Kamala Harris’s running mate (Getty)

At the time he signed the bill, Walz said that the new law was “protection so you don’t get a bad ticket, a fraudulent ticket, and resellers can’t snatch them all up before you get an opportunity.”

In 2022, Walz tweeted his frustration at not being able to buy Swift tickets himself. He posted a picture of his cat Afton snarling along with the caption: “Afton after being online all day and not getting Taylor Swift tickets.”

Swift fans have been quick to pick up on the fact that Walz is one of them, with one tweeting: “SWIFTIE VP!! TICKETMASTER COUNT YOUR DAYS BABYYYYY!!!!!!!!”

When announcing Walz as her running mate, Harris touted the work he’s done for middle-class families and his “deep commitment” to his own wife and children.

“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle-class families run deep. It’s personal,” she wrote in an Instagram post announcing the decision. “He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families.”

“We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election,” she added.

Harris’s announcement comes with a little more than a week to go until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The two will hold a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening before they begin a tour through swing states.

Walz, a former history teacher, high school football coach, congressman and two-term governor, has been a favorite of the online left for his passing of popular progressive policies and for starting the trend of calling Republican politicians “weird.”