Tim Walz Sees 'Significant Jump' In VP Nominee Odds

MINNESOTA — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was a virtual unknown on the national stage last month. But now, the Midwest Democrat has the second-best odds of becoming Kamala Harris' vice presidential nominee, according to bettors.

Walz has even rocketed past astronaut and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly in the odds for becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

One concern about choosing Kelly as vice president is that he would have to vacate his U.S. Senate seat in a conservative-leaning state. Kelly's departure would lead to a special election that could tip the balance of the Senate to Republicans.

"Tim Walz experienced a significant jump in implied probability over the weekend, going from 8 percent to 25 percent," a spokesperson for VegasInsider told Patch.

But most bettors believe Josh Shapiro — the governor of crucial swing state Pennsylvania — has the best odds. Walz is the clear second, according to VegasInsider:

1. Josh Shapiro, -303
2. Tim Walz, +293
3. Mark Kelly, +1090
4. Andy Beshear, +1320
5. Pete Buttigieg, +1960

Reporting from Reuters shows that Walz and Shapiro are indeed the two finalists for the role. Harris is expected to announce her decision Tuesday.

Among Walz's downsides as a candidate is that Minnesota is not a crucial swing state. No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota's ten electoral votes since Richard Nixon won the state in 1972.

Additionally, Walz was governor of Minnesota when rioters burned and looted Minneapolis and St. Paul homes and businesses in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

And Walz's administration was blamed for allowing a whopping $250 million in COVID-era fraud to happen under their watch.

But Walz has won the hearts of Democrats and left-wing activists with his ability to communicate a progressive agenda in a folksy, Midwestern manner. The Harris campaign has even adopted Walz's "Republicans are weird" slogan.

Some Democrats believe Walz could help Harris' campaign connect with small-town and rural voters, particularly in the Midwest.

Ultimately, the Harris campaign will have to weigh if Walz's potential upside outweighs the risks he might present to a national campaign against the former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance.