Vice President Kamala Harris has tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate after it appeared the choice came down between him and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Republican political consultant Mike Murphy recently offered some insight into why the scale tipped in Walz’s favor over Shapiro despite the latter bringing something big to the ticket: Pennsylvania is a key swing state — possibly the lynchpin to a Democratic victory — and Shapiro, who is wildly popular, would’ve helped capture it.

“I think [Shapiro] would be a solid choice, and probably somebody ought to tell him, we have these things called microphones and amplifiers now. Shouting speeches are highly overrated, unless you’re very good at it,” Murphy joked in an appearance on MSNBC last week.

“The theory that you pick a guy from the state you need to win the state was perfectly right in 1908, but elections are nationalized now. They’re about message. My friend [Democratic strategist] Paul Begala often reminds us that Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan and he didn’t even carry Ryan’s congressional district,” he said.

“Now, I don’t think Shapiro would be a bad choice, but I think he’s overrated. The conventional wisdom is a myth that, frankly, isn’t that true in the world of campaigns anymore.”

Murphy had argued Harris should have picked Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation and former mayor of South Bend, Ind. But on Tuesday, Murphy posted to X that he thought Walz is a “solid pick” and a “(very) good communicator.”

Murphy added: “A lot of the CW spin about Shapiro focused on Pennsylvania and while I don’t believe VPs can deliver states it is notable that Walz will be very effective and resonate on the trail in critical Wisconsin and Michigan.”

Walz is a former congressman who was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018. His victory extended the Democratic Party’s 12-year grip on the governor’s office. The last time a Minnesota Republican won statewide office was in 2006, when Gov. Tim Pawlenty was reelected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.