With Gov. Tim Walz’s selection to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Republicans in Minnesota and across the country are now taking aim at his record.

Sen. Karin Housley, R-Stillwater, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she was surprised by the pick and bashed Walz’s record as governor, saying he thinks “that money grows on trees,” referencing his administration’s use of an $18 billion budget surplus.

“I think that shows the disregard for the American family,” Housley said.

Recent reports by the Office of the Legislative Auditor revealed how lax government oversight created the conditions for the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme and resulted in 40% of checks through the Frontline Worker Pay Program going to people who weren’t eligible to receive them.

“The level of fraud in Minnesota, the waste of tax dollars, overspending, our education results — those aren’t partisan points,” said House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring.

Demuth questioned Walz’s ability to bring consensus in the country.

“We have a governor working party platform as opposed to wanting to reach across the aisle,” Demuth said.

At a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance was asked about Harris picking Walz.

“I think what Tim Walz’s selection says is that Kamala Harris bent the knee to the far left of her party, which is what she always does,” Vance said.

Carlton College political analyst Steven Schier says Minnesotans should expect to see Walz’s successes and problems in office thoroughly examined.

“That will be open to national scrutiny now,” he said. “You’ll see campaign ads about it even, lots of tweets and TikToks.”

Some of the immediate Republican responses to Walz getting picked were similar to one posed by Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber on X, calling Walz an “urban socialist.”

The leader of the Republican party, former president Donald Trump, called Walz “dangerously liberal” shortly after news spread of Harris’ decision. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, shared similar feelings on national television late Tuesday night. 

“It’s a really shameful moment for Kamala Harris. You know Tim Walz has all these things we can point to, he’s a really far left candidate, really far left governor, but the fact that Kamala Harris selected him I think shows really, really poor judgment and that she doesn’t have what it takes to be president of the United States,” Vance said. 

The Republican Party of Minnesota feels Minnesota will turn redder now that Walz is on the Democratic ticket. 

“Maybe the worst business climate to the state that we’ve ever seen, high taxes, a disregard for public safety, and there are a lot of voters, not only Republicans, but a lot of independent voters, who are looking for a change,” David Hann, chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.