NH Democrats praise Walz VP pick, Republicans scramble for attacks

New Hampshire Democratic political leaders have hailed Kamala Harris’ pick of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, while Republicans scrambled to create a line of attack that would stick.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen kicked off a round of resounding praise from New Hampshire’s federal delegation: “Governor Tim Walz brings strength and unity to the Democrat ticket. A former Army National Guard member, high school teacher and football coach, Gov. Walz knows how to work across the aisle and deliver results. I’m thrilled to support the Harris-Walz campaign,” she wrote on social media.

Former New Hampshire Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, a colleague of Walz’s while they were both in the House of Representatives, gave a glowing appraisal of the VP pick.

“In my 2006 class in Congress. To know Tim is to love Tim. Smart. Fun. Friendly. Very effective! Congratulations, my friend!” Shea-Porter wrote on social media.

Legendary New Hampshire-based documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, who has directed scores of award winning historic retellings of major events and figures in American history wrote on social media: “You can’t go wrong with a social studies teacher. Excited to have Tim Walz on the ticket. Good to have someone who knows American history.”

Even the former Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party Jennifer Horn said she was impressed. 

“He served 20 years in the military, is a former educator, cut taxes while balancing the budget, supports paid family leave, greater access to kindergarten, and feeding school children. Works for me,” Horn said.

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While some New Hampshire Republicans like Horn championed the pick, others looked for lines of attack. For many, including NH GOP Chair Chris Ager, that meant attacking Walz’s 24 years of military service. 

Suggesting he retired too early, leaving before the start of the 2005 Iraq war, which Walz opposed while in Congress, Ager, a six-year veteran, criticized Walz on social media and quoted a tabloid newspaper article, writing: , “If you were serving during this time period, you know how bad this action impacts a unit.”

The attack appears to be part of a coordinated effort by Republicans to denigrate the Walz’s service, coming after Republican VP candidate JD Vance launched a similar attack earlier in the day, saying Walz’s decision to retire after 24 years was “shameful.”

Many political strategists have said the attacks by Ager and Vance echo that of the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” campaign against Democrat John Kerry during his 2004 presidential run, an attack spearheaded by Chris LaCivita, the same Republican strategist who is currently a senior strategist for the Trump campaign.

Ager was joined in his attack on Walz being a veteran by the NH GOP-aligned New Hampshire Libertarian Party, who, in a viral tweet, said “Tim Walz has been a leech his entire life: – Public school teacher – Politician – Veteran.”

Many Republican lawmakers in New Hampshire, including Republican House Leader Jason Osborne, are closely associated with the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire. None have condemned the remarks.