This year’s election season has been an eventful one. The ballot for this November has been narrowed to two candidates out of the dozens who ran.
Representing the Democratic party is current Vice-President Kamala Harris; representing the Republican Party is former President Donald Trump. However, who is running with them as Vice-President?
During elections, voters do little to no research on Vice-Presidential candidates. Some voters only focus on the policies and views that the Presidential candidates agree and disagree with.
However, it is important to know who is running with your preferred candidate and what he or she agrees and disagrees with. After all, there is a possibility of them becoming President as well.
This election’s Vice-Presidential candidates are Governor Tim Walz who is running with Kamala Harris and Senator JD Vance who is running with Donald Trump.
Governor Walz has been the governor of Minnesota since 2019. Before becoming governor, Walz served as a representative for Minnesota’s 1st congressional district from 2007 to 2019.
During the midterm elections in 2006, Walz was able to win Minnesota’s 1st congressional district which had voted Republican since 1994.
Walz’s political stances are seen as moderately progressive (more liberal than conservative). His stances have helped him gain popularity amongst voters in his state.
When it comes to the controversial topic of abortion, Walz supports women’s reproductive rights. As Governor of Minnesota, Walz was one of the first governors to sign legislation protecting reproductive rights after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Roe V. Wade was a Supreme Court case from 1973 in which the court ruled that the U.S. Constitution protected a right to have an abortion. However, the Court overturned the 1973 ruling in 2022 allowing states to make their laws on abortion.
Thus, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, it was Governor Walz’s priority to take legislative action in his state to make protections for women’s reproductive rights.
“After last year’s landmark election across this country, we’re the first state to take legislative action to put these protections in place,” said Governor Walz according to the Associated Press.
This would increase his popularity amongst female voters in Minnesota and across the nation.
10th grader Aariyah Harris says, “I’d totally vote for Walz. In fact, I would not vote for anyone who does not support women’s reproductive rights.”
When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Walz is a firm supporter. In 2009, then-senator Walz called for the end of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy which prohibited the discrimination of closeted homosexual personnel in the military while excluding openly gay people from serving.
In 2023, Walz signed bills in Minnesota that banned conversion therapy (an attempt to change someone’s sexual orientation through various medical procedures) while protecting gender-affirming care in the state.
Walz has a firm stance when it comes to gun control. Though a gun owner himself, Walz believes there is a need for more regulations.
After the Parkland shooting in 2018, the then-senator Walz denounced the National Rifle Association (NRA) and donated his donations from the NRA to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to providing care to military personnel who suffer from traumatic disorders.
Meanwhile, Walz is a condemner of the October 7th attacks in Israel. Walz believes that Palestinian civilians have no business being caught between the two countries’ fight. He is a firm supporter of a ceasefire in Gaza. This makes Walz more relatable with most democratic voters who are also in favor of a ceasefire.
On the surface, Walz represents what most young people in the U.S. agree with.
On the other side of the ballot is Senator JD Vance. Vance has represented Ohio in Congress since 2023.
Vance obtained 32% of the vote during the 2022 Republican primary elections. However, he won the senate seat with 53% of the vote during the 2022 midterm elections.
Vance is known in Congress for being a MAGA (Make America Great Again) extremist. In other words, Vance is Conservative to the core.
When it comes to Vance’s stance on women’s reproductive rights, he opposes abortion. However, according to CNN, Vance has said he wishes to save as many babies as he can, but there are reasonable exceptions for late-term abortions.
As a senator, Vance has introduced legislation to the Senate that would make it harder for women to have access to abortions by prohibiting any government program to cover them. Thus, women who earn lower incomes, and wish to abort due to their financial situation won’t have many options to cover their procedure.
When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Vance is not a supporter. According to NBC News, in 2022, before becoming a senator, Vance said he would oppose the Respect for Marriages Act signed by President Biden that same year. The act ensures federal protection for same-sex and interracial marriages.
When it comes to gun control, Vance’s isn’t too firm. Although he disagrees with making the process of obtaining a firearm harder, he has said that convicted felons should not be allowed to get one. Notably, this is one of the only stances Vance has which are not so extreme.
When asked for his opinion on both sets of candidates, 11th Grader Joseph King said, “There are times when extremists like Vance and Trump should lead a country, but the U.S. isn’t really one [of them]. Cause the country is clearly divided and we need people that accept compromise.”
Lastly, when it comes to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Vance also condemns Palestine for the attack on October 7th. He has pledged his support to Israel’s fight against Hamas saying, “I support Israel and their campaign against Hamas. I also admire the Ukrainians fighting against Russia, but I believe it’s not in America’s interest to continue funding what seems like an endless conflict in Ukraine,” according to the Middle Eastern Eye.
In conclusion, the Vice-Presidential candidates for this year’s election are, for the most part, the opposite of each other. However, no matter which candidate wins in November, remember that the country’s pride is its citizens, not just its leaders.
