Is Minnesota a Swing State? Kamala Harris's VP Pick Hails From the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"

After news broke of Kamala Harris's decision to nominate Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her VP running mate, a lot of folks wondered what this might mean for Walz's home state, and what that could potentially mean for the election.

After all, it's reasonable to believe that nominating someone from a swing state could arguably help a candidate gain an advantage among those swing voters.

So, on that note ... is Minnesota a swing state? Here's what to know about the "Land of 10,000 Lakes."

No, Minnesota isn't a swing state.

Though it was mostly a red state from 1860 through the start of the Great Depression, the tides turned in 1932, when the state voted in Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In fact, the last time Minnesota went red was in 1972, when Richard Nixon won the presidential election in a landslide.

"Minnesota has generally been a safe state for Democrats, so it is less critical than Pennsylvania or Arizona, but it has been trending more competitive over the last few elections," Texas Christian University political science professor James Riddlesperger told USA Today.

As of now, regarding the 2024 presidential election in which Kamala Harris faces off against Donald Trump, political analysts are saying that there are six swing states that could determine the outcome of the race: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

But as for Walz, who has been touted for his progressive policies, his Midwestern roots may appeal to centrist voters.

"You know what? If Tim Walz ends up on the ticket, I will donate to the party for the first time ever," tweeted writer Andrew Krok. "This is the kind of folksy, take-no-s--t midwestern gumption that wins hearts and minds. It’s far more effective than just picking the governor of whatever swing state they need."