Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shared his excitement at a women’s event Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention about the positive “vibe” surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy.
Vice presidential candidate Walz has been on several tours with the Democratic presidential candidate, who chose him as her running mate. The governor told women that Kamala Harris will be “the next president” of the United States.
“In Phoenix, we had the largest political rally in Arizona history, because you know what we have, we have a decent leader with vision and compassion, and Kamala Harris will be our next president. That’s what we have,” Walz told the group of women.
The vice presidential candidate added that he had the same feeling in Nevada, where he was also with the vice president.
The two will headline an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then head to Pennsylvania again, where they toured ahead of the convention in Chicago.
“We have to win Pennsylvania, we have to win Pennsylvania,” he said.
The state offers 19 Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate. Donald Trump won it in 2016, but Joe Biden took it back in 2020.
Walz acknowledges that his life has changed a lot since he was nominated by Vice President Harris to be her running mate.
“People who with this candidacy and with this vision for this party will improve their lives,” Walz promised. “They don’t have to make a difficult decision. If they come with us, we will be there for their families. If they come with us, we will help them feed their children. If they come with us, we will get them an education. If they come with us, we will leave them alone to make their own decisions.”
Walz has been to several caucus meetings, including the Hispanic, AAPI and African American caucuses, unlike Vice President Harris, who made a surprise appearance on the United Center stage, sparking euphoria among attendees and joining in to celebrate the leadership of President Joe Biden, who has given up on continuing in the race and supported the vice president.
“I want to start by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden,” Harris said. “Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all that you will continue to do.”
Women’s time
At the DNC, speeches by women have been particularly prominent, in keeping with the fact that they have a female presidential candidate.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comments on the current situation for women.
“This is women’s time. This is Kamala Harris’ time,” Hochul said at the women’s event at the Hyatt McCormick, also in Chicago and part of the DNC.
At the convention, the legacies of other women were remembered, including that of Geraldine “Gerry” Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president in 1984.
“Well, folks, the future is here,” Hillary Clinton said when she remembered her. “We’re going to put Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House.”
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama also acknowledged the “vibe” surrounding the Harris-Walz ticket, but urged Democrats not to be complacent about the electoral process.
The former president referred on several occasions to Donald Trump, whom he defined as someone who “continues to complain about his problems,” but he also considered that his actions, for a president, are “dangerous.”
Michelle Obama insisted on staying on the campaign trail, but not getting complacent, continuing to climb the hill, so that the Democrats would not become “their own enemies.”
“Yeah, Kamala and Tim are doing great right now. They’re filling arenas across the country. People are energized. It feels good,” he said.
The DNC’s grand finale is Vice President Harris’ speech.
The Latino Vote and Chicago
Interviewed during the convention, Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (Illinois-04) celebrated the return of the Democratic event to the city of Chicago, where Latino voters are advancing.
“Chicago is representative of the rest of the nation, a third of the population of the metropolitan area is Latino, mostly Mexican. It will play an important role,” he said. “We Latinos will play an important role in states like Arizona, Nevada, and then in states like Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and also Pennsylvania, that is why it is so important that our people know the importance of their vote and that they exercise it.”
He added that the Harris-Walz ticket gives Democrats a new chance to win both houses of Congress.
A recent Voto Latino poll released to this newspaper revealed that Harris achieved an increase in Latino support for her candidacy, as Biden registered 47%, Harris reached 60%, leaving behind former President Donald Trump, who has 29%.
She also defended immigrants and is confident that Vice President Harris will apply her experience to the development project in Central America.
“We have to recognize the contributions of immigrants to the economy, to American society, and how it equips us for the future,” he said. “I hope that Vice President nominee Harris, with her perspective that she has managed to work in Central America to understand the causes and what forces people to migrate, will be components of addressing the roots and the beginnings of immigration.”
Asked how he felt about Chicago hosting the DNC, Garcia returned to the importance of the Latino vote.
“I feel fantastic, because Chicago is a cosmopolitan, representative city. We are one third of the metropolitan population of Chicago. We represent the future of Chicago, the future of the state of Illinois, but also of the nation,” he said.