US elections: Who are the running mates for the key candidates?

Jan van der Made

12 August 2024 at 10:16 am·2-min read

The United States is gearing up for presidential elections in November and campaign rallies are in full swing. The Republican contender, former leader Donald Trump, has chosen J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate, while Democratic candidate and current Vice-President Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz. RFI takes a closer look at their profiles.

When Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate for the November elections, she described him as "a battle tested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done.

"I know that he will bring that same principled leadership to our campaign, and to the office of the vice president," Harris said as she geared up for the party's convention, set for 19 August.

Harris' choice of Walz (60) is clearly made to counter Trump's VP pick, the young JD Vance (39,) who rose from the ranks of poor working class, middle America seen as crucial to tip the balance in the upcoming elections.

'Hillbillies' take centre stage

Vance was raised in Middletown, Ohio. He joined the Marines and served in Iraq, and later earned degrees from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He also worked as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.

He first rose to national prominence with his bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, which was published in 2016, coinciding with Trump running for his first presidency.

The book found a place in the New York Times bestseller list, and introduced life of the "redneck" working class of Appalachian America to New York businessmen and San Francisco intellectuals.

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'Hillbillies' take centre stage

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