Who should play Tim Walz on 'Saturday Night Live'? A look at the front-runners

Of all the questions about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, perhaps the least important one is this: Who will play him on "Saturday Night Live" when it returns for its 50th season?

Speculation is running rampant on social media, perhaps because the NBC sketch comedy series already has the perfect Kamala Harris in the brilliant Maya Rudolph.

Who would be worthy to join Rudolph on this parody Democratic ticket for the 2024 presidential election? Currently, Steve Martin is the people's front-runner. But there are other candidates who might get the "SNL" veep slot. Here is a look at what they'd bring to the part.

Andy Richter

Born in Grand Rapids (Michigan is a swing state, after all!) and raised in Illinois, Richter has the right Midwestern attitude for the job. Plus, his years of experience as Conan O'Brien's sidekick are excellent training for a secondary role like vice-presidential nominee.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Paul Giamatti

Despite his East Coast credentials as a Connecticut native and Yale University alum, the Oscar-winning character actor easily can play an everyman from anywhere. Plus, Giamatti's Emmy-winning role as the lead of HBO's "John Adams" gives him extra patriotic cred.

Jim Gaffigan

The Illinois native has developed a wide base of supporters with his stand-up comedy grounded in jokes about food — like his classic riff on Hot Pockets — and being a dad. Most recently, he took on a very pro-business role as the CEO in charge of Kellogg's cereals in Pop-Tarts origin story "Unfrosted."

Drew Carey

The pride of Cleveland has segued from doing comedy and starring in his self-named sitcom to hosting the iconic game show "The Price Is Right." Carey's job of of giving ordinary Americans greater access to cash and consumer goods is certainly appealing as an economic policy.

Steve Martin

The legendary comedian and actor supports law and order in his starring role on Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" as a true-crime podcaster. Martin also is a gifted banjo player with an appreciation for bluegrass music, which would be helpful for outreach to Southern states.

We’re gathering insights on artificial intelligence and would love to hear from you. Takethis short survey and help us understand your views.