As most Republicans prepared their attacks on Kamala Harris’s “extremely progressive” choice as her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan offered genuine praise.
In the eyes of some angry conservatives, he has some explaining to do, but the former governor is not letting that bother him.
“I think he’s a good guy. I’ve always gotten along with him and I think he was a good choice,” the Maryland Republican Senate candidate told DailyMail.com exclusively.
“It’s going to add a few things to the list. It’s going to bring a little perspective.”
Hogan said he worked closely with Walz when he chaired the National Governors Association.
He added: “I think (Pennsylvania Gov. Josh) Shapiro was a good choice, too, but I think picking a governor was really smart. I think they’re the ones with the most experience.”
“I want to extend my congratulations to Governor Walz on being selected as the Democratic vice presidential nominee,” the Maryland Republican Senate candidate wrote on X on Tuesday.
Republicans erupted in outrage after he posted his congratulations to X on Tuesday after Harris announced her pick.
“We had the opportunity to work together as governors and, although we come from different parties, I have always appreciated his dedication to public service,” Hogan said.
“I think we need more governors at the national level because governors have to get things done. I wish Tim and his family the best in the upcoming campaign.”
However, Hogan did not offer the same praise when Donald Trump chose JD Vance as his running mate.
In fact, she told DailyMail.com that Vance’s recent comments about women, criticising single women “without cats” were “not helpful”.
But the moderate former governor insisted he would not vote for either the Republican or the Democratic candidate.
In June, Hogan said he has “no interest” in Trump endorsing his party. In November, he will run as a Republican for the Senate in Maryland, a Democratic-majority state.
Walz, 60, a father of two, is a former U.S. congressman, schoolteacher, football coach and served for more than two decades in the Army National Guard. He was seen as a more liberal choice than fellow front-runner Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Harris announced her vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz, on Tuesday.
As governor, Walz He codified the right to abortion, signed universal free school meals, legalized recreational marijuana and gave voting rights to former prisoners. He passed a law allowing illegal immigrants to have driver’s licenses.
While school funding has increased significantly, that has not translated into improved test scores. In 2015, the state ranked sixth in the nation for education quality; by 2024, It sank until 19th.
He is a close ally of the LGBTQ+ community, serving as faculty advisor to the first gay-straight alliance in high school when he was a teacher and later as governor with efforts to ban “conversion therapy” for youth in the state.
Walz likes to promote access to health care in his state. His administration has implemented drug pricing transparency requirements and reached an agreement with Eli Lilly to cap insulin prices in the state.
