Tim Walz's Progressive Policies Popular With Republicans in Swing States

As Democrats welcomed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, Republicans were quick to take aim at his record of passing progressive policies during his tenure leading the North Star State.

On Monday, Harris announced that Walz, a second-term governor and former House member, would be joining her ticket. The governor had drawn wide acclaim from liberals over the past month because of his frequent media appearances backing Harris and denouncing former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio. Walz dubbed the Republican duo "weird," which has since caught fire as a consistent Democratic talking point.

Meanwhile, Republicans and the Trump campaign immediately began attacking Walz as "dangerously liberal."

"By picking Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris not only bent the knee to the radical left, she doubled down on her dangerously liberal, weak, and failed agenda," Brian Hughes, a Trump campaign senior adviser, told Newsweek in a statement earlier this week.

Newsweek reached out to the Harris campaign, Walz's press office and the Trump campaign via email for additional comment on Thursday morning.

While Walz did have significant success passing a slate of progressive measures since he took over as governor in 2019, polling suggests that many of these policies are popular in swing states and nationwide. Here's a closer look at some of those policies and what the polling shows.

Earlier this year, Minnesota passed a measure to increase the minimum wage and set a higher annual percentage increase. The state currently has a two-tier minimum wage system that allows small businesses to pay a lower hourly wage than larger businesses.

That measure ends next year, when every business will be required to pay at least $10.85 per hour. Additionally, the changes will have the minimum wage increase by 5 percent annually, double the previously required 2.5 percent.

New polling conducted by Data for Progress from July 26 to 29 in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin showed that a significant majority of voters, including a narrower majority of Republicans, support raising the minimum wage to as much as $17 an hour.

Overall, the data showed 70 percent of likely voters would somewhat or strongly support a $17 minimum wage. Among Democrats, it was 88 percent, with 60 percent of independents and 56 percent of Republicans approving of the idea. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points and polled 1,158 likely voters across the six battleground states.

Polling carried out by CNBC in 2019 showed a similar result, with 60 percent of voters backing a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour. The poll surveyed 800 Americans nationwide and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Walz pushed through modest tax increases for some wealthy Minnesotans and corporations during his time as governor. Through the Legislature, he enacted a 1 percent surtax on capital gains, dividends and other investment income above $1 million a year. He also raised some taxes on corporations that get some of their revenue internationally.

Both of these policies appear to be popular with likely voters in battleground states. The Data for Progress survey showed that, overall, 71 percent think the wealthy should pay more in taxes. Among independents, the percentage was 67 percent, while it was 55 percent among Republicans.

The results were similar when likely voters were asked if corporations should pay more taxes. In total, 67 percent agreed with increasing taxes on corporations, including 62 percent of independents and 49 percent of Republicans.

This data aligns with separate polling from Morning Consult/Bloomberg in March, which showed 72 percent of voters in swing states approve of increasing taxes on those earning $400,000 or more per year. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point and surveyed 4,932 registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Walz successfully made insulin more affordable and accessible in Minnesota. Since 2020, eligible Minnesotans who urgently need insulin can go to a local pharmacy once in a one-year period and receive a 30-day supply for a co-payment of just $35. Some applicants are also eligible to receive a second 30-day supply in some instances.

The Data for Progress poll suggests most voters in battleground states would approve of going even further by cutting the cost of prescription drugs in half to align with how much they normally cost in Canada and Europe.

Overall, 75 percent said they would be somewhat or much more likely to support a political candidate pushing to make this a reality. That included 68 percent of independents and 68 percent of Republicans.

In 2023, KFF polling showed that majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans across the country believed there should be more government regulation to limit the cost of prescription drugs. That survey showed this view was held by 82 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Republicans.

Since August of last year, marijuana has been legal in Minnesota for recreational use. Walz signed the legislation in May 2023, saying at the time, "We've known for too long that prohibiting the use of cannabis hasn't worked. By legalizing adult-use cannabis, we're expanding our economy, creating jobs and regulating the industry to keep Minnesotans safe."

Recreational marijuana is now legal in 24 states, and medicinal use is approved in 38 states. The battleground states of Arizona, Michigan and Nevada legalized recreational cannabis before Minnesota. Several Republican-leaning states, such as Ohio and Alaska, have previously legalized it as well.

Gallup polling data from November 2023 showed 70 percent of U.S. adults favored legalization. That included majorities of Democrats (87 percent) and Republicans (55 percent). Even a narrow majority of those who specifically identified as conservative backed legalization, at 52 percent.