The same day Vice President Kamala Harris announced her running mate, an NPR/PBS/Marist poll showed that 71% of respondents had never heard of or were unsure about Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN). To anyone generally observing the vice presidential pick, Walz seems like a standard, even boring, Democratic choice.

“To characterize [Walz] as left is so unreal. He’s right down the middle. He’s a heartland of America Democrat,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on MSNBC.