Tim Walz will seek to build on the intense enthusiasm surrounding his and Kamala Harris’s campaign on Wednesday, as the newly anointed vice-presidential nominee headlines the third night of the Democratic national convention in Chicago.
The speech will give Walz an opportunity to introduce himself to a much wider audience of voters, as most Americans were unfamiliar with the Minnesota governor before Harris selected him as her running mate earlier this month. An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted last month, shortly after Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Harris, showed that only 13% of Americans knew enough about Walz to register an opinion of him.
But Walz has an early advantage in cultivating a positive image, as he has captured the internet’s imagination in the past few weeks. Fans of the friendly governor have showered social media platforms with memes depicting him as the father figure that America needs right now. On the campaign trail, Harris often introduces her running mate as “Coach Walz” to remind voters of his background as a teacher and football coach.
Over the first two days of the convention, Walz has reinforced the image of a “joyful warrior” as he has made a habit of popping in on state delegation breakfasts and caucus meetings to visit with supporters and promote Harris’s campaign.
“It’s been an interesting 11 days for me,” Walz joked at a Wisconsin delegation breakfast on Monday. He added: “Over the next few days we will show what democracy looks like – it’s inclusive.”
The theme of Wednesday’s programming will be “A Fight for Our Freedoms,” mirroring a message that Harris has embraced in her campaigning. The Democratic nominee has invigorated crowds with her argument that fundamental freedoms are on the line this year, telling voters, “We won’t go back.”
Walz may use his speech to highlight how he has similarly embraced that message over his gubernatorial tenure. Since Minnesota Democrats won a legislative trifecta in 2022, Walz has signed a series of bills to enshrine abortion rights into state law, protect access to gender-affirming care and make it easier for people with a felony conviction to vote.
“The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country,” Minyon Moore, convention chair, said Sunday. “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for the American people and America’s future – Donald Trump is only fighting for himself.”
In addition to Walz, the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg are slated to speak on Wednesday. Pelosi’s speech will be closely watched to interpret her opinion of Harris’s path to victory, after the former speaker played an important role in urging the president to exit the race. Meanwhile, Buttigieg is considered one of the rising stars to watch at the convention, as many Democrats wonder whether he will launch another presidential campaign after his unsuccessful effort in 2020.
Bill Clinton is expected to address the convention on Wednesday, becoming the third president to do so this week. Joe Biden headlined the first night of the convention on Monday and Barack Obama followed suit on Tuesday.
In his remarks, Obama implored Democrats to do everything possible to elect Harris in November, emphasizing that time was of the essence.
“If we each do our part over the next 77 days – if we knock on doors and make phone calls and talk to our friends and listen to our neighbors – if we work like we’ve never worked before – we will elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States, and Tim Walz as the next vice-president of the United States,” Obama said.
“We’ll elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we believe in. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free. So let’s get to work.”
During the speech, the convention crowd chanted, “Yes, she can!” as an homage to Obama’s motto of “Yes, we can!” in 2008. Like Obama did in 2008, Harris will be looking to make history this year, and she will have the chance to deliver her own pitch to the nation on Thursday.
