A volunteeer holds a “Vote Uncommitted” sign outside of a polling station in Dearborn, Michigan on Feb. 27, 2024. Photo by Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images

By Lauren Markoe August 6, 2024

For many in the Uncommitted movement, formed to protest Democratic politicians’ support for Israel, presumed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as a running mate qualifies as a victory — of sorts.

Those leading the movement see some possibility that he may become a voice for Palestinians — and have bargained that he is more likely to do so than others on Harris’ VP shortlist.

“Governor Walz has demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve as a public leader, uniting Democrats’ diverse coalition to achieve significant milestones for Minnesota families of all backgrounds,” senior adviser Elianne Farhat tweeted in the movement’s official response to reports that Harris had chosen Walz.

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Many of the more than 700,000 voters who voted “Uncommitted” in the Democratic primaries, in an effort to protest President Joe Biden’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza, pushed for Harris to not pick Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — her other finalist — to be her running mate, and dubbed him “Genocide Josh” for what they considered his overly supportive positions on Israel. Shapiro has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “one of the worst leaders of all time” but has also said that a ceasefire in Gaza is premature until Hamas is removed from power.

That, and his criticism of pro-Palestinian protesters, some of whom he once likened to the Ku Klux Klan, have disturbed Uncommitted voters. But critics say Shapiro was held to a different standard because he’s Jewish, and point out that Harris and Walz also have strong pro-Israel voting records but haven’t faced such a backlash.   

Walz showed receptivity to the Uncommitted movement after nearly 20% of Democratic primary voters in Minnesota voted with it in the primary. “They are asking to be heard and that’s what they should be doing,” he said. “Their message is clear that they think this is an intolerable situation and that we can do more. And I think the president is hearing that.” 

Walz is not everything Uncommitted wants

Though Walz may be the best the movement could have likely hoped for, its leaders also made clear that he falls far short of what they want: a national leader who will call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to the war in Gaza and stop U.S. military transfers to Israel.

But the movement expressed hope that he might become such a leader, with Farhat’s statement noting “we hope he can evolve on this issue as he has on others, such as shifting from an A to F rating from the NRA.” 

Some in the Uncommitted movement say they are too enraged by Biden’s support for Israel since Oct. 7 to vote for Harris, his vice president, in November — no matter who her running mate is. But others within the movement were pleased to have the opportunity to mark “uncommitted” in the primaries, and never intended to withhold their vote for the Democrats in the general election, especially with former President Donald Trump as the GOP nominee.

That group of uncommitted voters may reflect the thinking of Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat and one of Israel’s strongest critics in Congress. Omar has called herself an ally of the Uncommitted movement, but did not vote in Minnesota’s primaries and said, before Biden dropped out of the race last month, that he retained her support.

She tweeted her congratulations to Walz Tuesday with a picture of the two of them, and mentioned his support for marijuana legalization and reproductive rights, among other positions — but nothing about Israel, Palestinians or Gaza. 

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