And look, we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end,” Harris told the crowd.
Tuesday’s rally in Milwaukee was the campaign’s largest nationally, according to organizers.
Their remarks came two days before Harris is scheduled to formally accept the party’s presidential nomination in Chicago.
Harris was livestreamed from Milwaukee into the Chicago arena after the roll call of the states established her as the Democratic nominee.
The timing shows that Democrats have not forgotten Milwaukee and Wisconsin, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.
“You might have heard over there that convention and the energy over there is like nothing you’ve seen,” Walz said.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton and Peter Feigin join the party The Milwaukee Bucks were right at home during the rally, with Bucks president Peter Feigin and all-star forward Khris Middleton in attendance.
He committed $100 million to help build Fiserv Forum and famously kept the Bucks in Milwaukee, rebuffing offers over the years.
About 18,000 supporters gathered at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday as Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the boisterous assembly in the crowded Milwaukee arena that played host to the Republican convention last month, departing from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“The election in Wisconsin is in 77 days. 77 days. . And look, we already know that the race will be close until the very end,” Harris said to the assembly. “We enjoy hard work, so we have our work cut out for us. With your support this November, we will prevail because hard work pays off. ****.
After the states’ roll call confirmed Harris as the Democratic nominee, Harris addressed the Milwaukee crowd for about 20 minutes, with a few of those minutes being live streamed into the Chicago arena. It was a unique move that gave her the opportunity to address two full arenas simultaneously.
Organizers claim that Tuesday’s rally in Milwaukee was the largest one held nationwide for the campaign.
The candidates’ choice to come here was praised by the audience, who pointed out that it demonstrated the crucial role the state will play in the presidential contest.
Dan Weiner, an Appleton voter who traveled to Milwaukee to see Harris, stated, “A lot of pundits are saying the road to the White House is going to go through Wisconsin.”. “I concur with that. Regardless of your stance, it’s significant and kind of cool that Wisconsin is so important to Wisconsinites. ****.
Hours before the event, supporters began to form lines to see Harris and vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed the assembly both times. DJ Shawna was a part of the rally, and Beyonce was featured heavily in the soundtrack.
A few hours prior, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance addressed supporters outside the courthouse of Kenosha County.
After rising to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket late last month, Harris made three trips to Wisconsin. Here are some lessons learned from them:.
Harris and Walz decided to travel north to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, even though Chicago was awarded the Democratic National Convention.
To hold the rally on Tuesday, Harris and Walz traveled the 88 miles from the United Center venue in Chicago, home of the Democratic National Convention, to Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee.
Melissa Baldauff, a Democratic political strategist based in Milwaukee, said, “I think it’s a really smart move for them to come to a battleground state as the convention is kicking off and feel that excitement right alongside voters.”. “And not just with voters, but also with people who would be attending the Democratic convention. “. .
Milwaukee resident Jennifer Buda stated that she attended the rally with her daughter “just to experience it,” having “never been to a campaign thing before.”. “.
“Obviously, there are people who would never have attended the DNC who can now come here and see her and Mr. Walz,” Buda remarked.
The close proximity of Milwaukee to the Chicago convention site presents Democrats with a distinct chance to galvanize support for the campaign in a population center where voter turnout can have a significant impact on the outcome of the state, according to Philip Rocco, an associate professor of political science at Marquette University.
Milwaukee is a major city, to put it simply.
Two days before Harris is expected to formally accept the party’s presidential nomination in Chicago, they made these comments.
After the roll call of the states declared Harris the Democratic nominee, the event was streamed live from Milwaukee into the Chicago arena. She made the unusual move of simultaneously speaking to two full arenas for several minutes.
Milwaukee receives national attention for its DNC experience four years later than anticipated.
At the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, four years ago, Harris and the current president Joe Biden were supposed to seal their presidential ticket on the arena stage. However, those plans were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which made the convention primarily an online affair.
Two years ago on Tuesday, Harris held a rally in the same venue where, had the pandemic not derailed plans, Biden would have accepted the party’s nomination. Instead, Biden took up the nomination from Wilmington, Delaware’s Chase Center.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson stated that the timing demonstrates that Democrats have not forgotten Milwaukee and Wisconsin. The particulars of this year’s RNC and DNC were also mentioned by him.
Both the RNC and the DNC conventions, he claimed, had been full of surprises. Not only was it unusual for Donald Trump to be seated prominently at the RNC every night, but Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, also broke from convention by leaving the DNC, traveling to a different city, and holding a sizable rally outside of the Chicago convention. In either case, I’m thrilled about it. “.
Yet, Republicans were unimpressed.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley released a statement saying, “In 2020 the Democrats abandoned Milwaukee weeks before their convention — but four years later, Republicans kept their promise” to hold the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
One more indication that Democrats took the 2016 election to heart?
With her ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket late last month, Harris’s rally in Wisconsin is her third this year and her seventh overall. This is the Harris-Walz rally.
This election is very different from the one that occurred in 2016, which has left a lasting impression on Democrats due to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s defeat by Donald Trump in the crucial swing state that she had not traveled to during the general election.
Tim Walz criticizes Trump’s RNC speech and the “energy” of the convention.
Mocking Trump’s Republican National Convention speech and the “energy” in Fiserv Forum, Walz did so from the same arena where the president stood just a month ago.
In case any of you missed it, Walz said, “Donald Trump treated us to 92 minutes of ranting and raving insanity after promising us a speech that was going to be about unity and promising that he was a changed man.”. As you can see, they rode out of here. They were in a good mood. This was no longer happening. Milwaukee, I can assure you that a lot can change in just four weeks. “.”.
He also made fun of Trump’s energy in the room.
The energy there is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, as you may have heard about the convention, according to Walz. I’m genuinely thrilled about this, though. We not only have a ton of energy at our convention, but we also have a ton more energy right now because of where they held their convention. “. .
It was later confirmed by the campaign that Walz had mentioned that “15,000 plus” people were present at Fiserv Forum, with free tickets being required for entry.
The campaign updated the figure to roughly 18,000 on Wednesday.
The size of his crowds is a famous source of concern for Trump.
Peter Feigin and Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks attend the celebration.
All-star forward Khris Middleton and Bucks president Peter Feigin attended the rally from the Milwaukee Bucks, who are a team that plays at home.
Over the years, Bucks executives, coaches, and players have entered the political sphere. Most notably, the late Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin business tycoon and seasoned Democratic senator, owned the team for almost thirty years. In addition to infamously keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee by turning down numerous offers, he donated $100 million to help construct Fiserv Forum.
Feigin spearheaded the Bucks’ social justice campaigns after joining the team in 2014, particularly speaking out against police brutality. The Bucks players participated in a march in Milwaukee during the 2020 pandemic, which swept the nation after George Floyd was killed by police. The Bucks declined to play in a playoff game while in the Orlando “bubble” as a result of another police shooting involving Jacob Blake in Kenosha. “.
During the RNC, no Bucks were seen in the audience.
Candidates will be visiting Wisconsin in large numbers this autumn.
Tuesday in Kenosha, Vance addressed a group of approximately one hundred people at a press conference he called to “celebrate law enforcement.”. David Zoerner, the sheriff of Kenosha County, and prominent Wisconsin Republicans U.S. were with the vice presidential candidate. s. Rep. Bryan Steil, together with U. S. Eric Hovde, a Senate candidate.
Along with his jokes, Vance said that he “basically lives in Wisconsin now,” pointing to the race in November. Election No. 5 is underway. In as many weeks, this is his third trip to Wisconsin.
“Wisconsin may very well be the most important state in the nation come November, politically speaking,” Vance informed reporters. And all the polling indicates that, which we know and believe. Above all, though, it is felt on the ground. “.”.
This story was written with assistance from Journal Sentinel staff members Rachel Hale and Jessie Opoien.
