Voters like Tim Walz a lot more than JD Vance, new poll suggests

On Tuesday, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Voters have reacted positively to the veteran and former school teacher’s selection, according to a new YouGov poll conducted on Tuesday. According to the survey, 35% of voters said Walz was a good pick to be Harris’ running mate. Among registered Democratic voters, the number jumps to 61%.

More voters also view Walz favorably than unfavorably, according to YouGov. Overall, 35% of registered voters expressed a favorable opinion of Harris' running mate, compared to 20% who have at least a somewhat unfavorable opinion of the Minnesota governor.

Walz was one of three candidates short-listed to be Harris' running mate, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Before being selected, Walz was seen less favorably, with just 32% of voters saying they approved of him as a VP candidate, compared to Kelly’s 57% and Shapiro’s 46%. But Walz’s low approval number was likely due to most Americans not knowing who he was.

According to a poll conducted in late July, almost 75% of registered voters didn’t know who Walz was. After he was announced as Harris’ running mate, that number dropped to less than half. His overall favorability jumped 14% after the announcement, with 62% of Democratic voters now having a positive view of Walz, while just 5% have a negative view.

Even some on the right have a favorable view of Walz, including 16% of those who identify as "very conservative," according to YouGov, although 48% of that cohort also say they have a negative opinion of him.

It’s not uncommon for a candidate’s favorability rating to jump immediately after joining the presidential ticket. After GOP nominee Donald Trump selected JD Vance as his running mate, Vance’s net-favorability rating increased by 10%.

In the three weeks since he was selected, however, Vance’s ratings have plummeted. Slammed for his extreme views and at times awkward stage demeanor, voters, including members of the Republican Party, have heavily criticized Trump’s VP pick.

After the Republican National Convention (RNC), Vance had an approval rating of negative 6%, making him the least liked vice presidential candidate since 1980.

In many ways the two VP candidates are opposites: Vance is a Yale law school graduate and Walz is a former high school football coach who attended state schools. Walz is a fierce advocate of reproductive rights, while Vance has previously said there shouldn’t be abortion exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

Vance said he will not commit to debating Walz until he is confirmed as the vice presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this month, The Washington Post reported.

Walz has said he's ready.

“I can't wait to debate the guy. That is, if he's willing to get off the couch and show up," Walz said at his first campaign event with Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.