2024 Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Odds: Tim Walz Named Harris’ VP
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Scott Kacsmar
- August 6, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris has tapped Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 U.S. election.
This comes as somewhat of a surprise was Waltz was trading at +725 with political betting sites. Harris had been widely expected to choose Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate, though Shapiro was dogged in recent days by reports of his handling of a sexual harassment case involving a former aide.
Walz had 24 years of service in the Army National Guard before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The stage is now set for Harris and Walz to officially accept their party nomination at the Democratic National Convention August 19-22.
Democratic Vice President Odds
Below is a history of the closing odds of the Democratic Vice President Odds market.
Tim Walz was the second-favorite to secure the nomination, though the implied probability heavily leaned in favor of Josh Shapiro.
| Candidate | Odds at Bovada | Implied Win Probability | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Shapiro | -370 | 78.72% | |
| Tim Walz | +725 | 12.12% | |
| Mark Kelly | +1100 | 8.33% | |
| Andy Beshear | +1200 | 7.69% |
The Third Man: Tim Walz, Minnesota Governor
60-year-old Tim Walz has been the Minnesota Governor since 2019 where he has legalized recreational cannabis and established universal background checks and red-flag laws for gun purchases.
Walz has become a viral sensation in the last week for his usage of the word “weird” in describing his Republican opponents. It has caught on as a new line of attack for the Democrats, and it appears to be having an impact.
I’m telling you: these guys are weird. pic.twitter.com/fvNRNf7T7T
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) July 24, 2024
It was ultimately enough to secure the VP nomination, as Walz has raised his profile considerably this month.
The Favorite: Mark Kelly, Arizona Senator
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is 60 years old and replaced Republican John McCain’s seat in the Senate in 2020 after a special election.
Kelly had a lot of appeal for the ticket. He is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot in an assassination attempt in 2011. Kelly has been in the spotlight for years as an advocate for gun control measures, he is a former United States Navy Captain, and he is a former astronaut who commanded the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011.
Kelly could have offered Harris a few boosts to her campaign:
- Kelly is well-liked in Arizona, a swing state where Republicans are currently favored to win after the Democrats won it in 2020.
- Kelly has been critical of the Biden-Harris administration’s effort at the US-Mexico border, a weakness in her resume.
Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Governor
Another favorite was Josh Shapiro, who has been the Governor of Pennsylvania since January 2023. He is 51 years old, Jewish, and has plenty of experience in politics. He would be a great foil to the Republican Vice President choice, Ohio Senator JD Vance.
On the subject of abortion, Shapiro is pro-choice and has made keeping that legal an important part of his work in the Keystone State, a very crucial swing state in determining who will win November’s election.
In the 2022 midterms, Shapiro won the Governorship decisively with 56.5% of the vote. If he can deliver Pennsylvania for the Democrats, then that could be key to a comeback win in this election.
Shapiro is moderate enough to have appeal to independents and Republicans who want an alternative to Donald Trump.
The Pressure to Announce the Vice President Pick Before the DNC
The DNC is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago. Normally, you would expect Harris to announce her vice president pick at the DNC much like how the Republicans announced JD Vance at their convention this month.
But there was extra pressure on Harris to pick sooner, because Democrats set a deadline of August 7 to finalize the ballot to avoid any potential legal hurdles from Republicans in Ohio. They worry lawsuits can end up getting their candidate kicked off the ballot in Ohio, but this is very unlikely.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
