Tim Walz says he and Harris played it too 'safe’ in Dems 2024 campaign: ‘Don’t think we were ever ahead’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has admitted that he and Kamala Harris played it too "safe" during their 2024 campaign, suggesting they should have held more in-person events across the US.
He pointed out that the shortened timeline, with Harris becoming the nominee just months before the election, restricted their ability to take risks. Walz also hinted at a potential run for president in 2028 but remained noncommittal, stating that his focus right now is on helping Democrats win in the meantime.
Tim Walz admits he and Kamala Harris played it safe in the 2024 campaign
In a Politico interview, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz provided a detailed assessment of his and Kamala Harris's 2024 campaign, stating that they played it too "safe."
He remarked, "We shouldn’t have been playing this thing so safe," as the Democratic Party seeks to learn from Donald Trump's victory, which left them in political turmoil.
Walz, known as one of the party's top messengers against Trump and Vance in 2024, became famous for calling them "weird."
He also explained how the limited campaign timeline hampered their efforts, noting that Harris officially became the Democratic nominee only three months before the November election.
"These are things you might have been able to get your sea legs, if you will, 18 months out, where the stakes were a lot lower," Walz said.
Reflecting on the loss, he added, "[But] after you lose, you have to go back and assess where everything was at, and I think that is one area, that is one area we should think about."
Walz observed that they should have engaged more directly with voters, suggesting that town halls, even with tough criticism, could have made a difference: "I think there could have been more of that."
Tim Walz says he and Kamala Harris were in ‘prevent defense’
Tim Walz admitted that he and Kamala Harris could have done more during their campaign in the interview.
He highlighted that Democrats, as a party, tend to be more "cautious" in engaging with both mainstream and non-traditional media.
He used a football analogy, saying, “In football parlance, we were in a prevent defense [a strategy whereby a team focuses on a gritty defense, rather than attacking], to not lose – when we never had anything to lose, because I don’t think we were ever ahead.”
Walz, who has recently reemerged in the national spotlight with more TV appearances and a major fundraising event for 1,000 Democrats in Minnesota, took responsibility for their loss to Trump in the 2024 election, where they were defeated 312 to 226 in the electoral college and by a 1.5% margin in the popular vote.
“When you’re on the ticket and you don’t win, that’s your responsibility,” he said. As the 2028 Democratic presidential primary approaches with many high-profile governors vying for the nomination, Walz, who has not yet decided whether he will seek a third term as Minnesota's governor, was noncommittal about his future plans, and told the outlet he was “not saying no.”
He added, “I’m staying on the playing field to try and help because we have to win, and I will always say this: I will do everything in my power [to help], and as I said, with the vice-presidency, if that was me, then I’ll do the job.”
