Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is also Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the US presidential election scheduled for November, has accepted the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States, calling it “the honor of my lifetime.”

Accepting the nomination on Wednesday, August 21, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Walz said, “It is my greatest honor to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States.”

He thanked President Joe Biden for “four years of strong, historic leadership” and thanked Kamala Harris for inviting him to join the ballot. Gwen Walz, the first lady of Minnesota, introduced him with a film documenting his life from his birth in Nebraska to his service in the Army National Guard. As Walz took the stage, Gwen Walz and her children, who were present at the convention, were visibly moved.

In his speech, Walz specifically referenced his Republican rival JD Vance, a Yale graduate, saying, “There were 24 kids in my high school class and none of them went to Yale,” CNN reported.

MUST READ: China’s outrage grows after Australian Senate condemns UN Resolution 2758 on Taiwan

Walz reflected on his sense of responsibility, saying, “For me, it was serving in the Army National Guard. I enlisted two days after my 17th birthday and proudly wore our nation’s uniform for 24 years.” He also said his father, a Korean War veteran, left behind “a mountain of medical debt” when he died of lung cancer. “Thank God for Social Security Survivor Benefits and the GI Bill, which made college possible for my father and me and millions of other Americans,” Walz said.

In his speech at the convention, Walz outlined what Americans could expect from a Harris presidency, making it clear: “If you are part of a middle-class family or a family trying to move into the middle class, Kamala Harris will lower your taxes.”

Tim Walz, former high school football coach and governor of Minnesota, concluded his speech with football metaphors. “Team, it’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball… We’re charging down the field. And boy, do we have the right team. Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and block and tackle. Inch by inch, yard by yard, phone call by phone, door knock by door, $5 donation by door.”

Harris is the first woman of color and the first Asian American to lead a major party’s ticket. According to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Harris received 99 percent of the vote.

Walz, 60, was chosen from a list of likely candidates with better name recognition and more politically advantageous states. Harris was nominated as the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race due to age, particularly after a poor performance in a debate with Donald Trump in June.

In contrast, Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House after a controversial exit in 2020, has named JD Vance as his running mate. Vance is a venture capitalist and acclaimed author of the bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”

(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)

ALSO READ: MEA addresses concerns over Bangladesh floods, refutes claims Tripura’s Dumbur Dam is involved