Harris and Walz Rally Voters in Milwaukee

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at Fiserv Forum on Aug. 21. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

Four weeks ago, Vice President Kamala Harris maxed out the bleachers at West Allis High School with more than 3,000 attendees for her first campaign stop as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

On Tuesday evening, she filled over 18,000 seats at Fiserv Forum.

“It’s good to be back, Milwaukee,” Harris said from the same stage where Donald Trump accepted the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in late July.

Thousands of supporters turned out to cheer on Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, at the rally in downtown Milwaukee. The candidates’ visit fell on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, which kicked off Monday in Chicago.

Before Harris and Walz took the stage, the audience at Fiserv tuned in to a livestream of the DNC’s ceremonial roll call — featuring a surprise appearance from rapper Lil Jon — as delegates confirmed the candidates’ nominations.

The Milwaukee crowd roared in approval as Governor Tony Evers announced he was “jazzed as hell” to confirm Wisconsin’s support for the Harris-Walz ticket.

The stream then reversed to give the Chicago crowd a live view of the rally in Milwaukee.

Buoyed by the momentum of the DNC, Harris spoke to an energetic crowd which, at various points throughout the evening, erupted in deafening cheers and chants of “we won’t go back” and “thank you, Joe.”

Harris spoke for approximately 25 minutes, delivering a speech that outlined her plan for the first 100 days in office, as well as a vision for the following four years.

She pledged to reduce costs, cut taxes and defend reproductive rights, leveraging the latter into an attack on Trump.

“Just yesterday, when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v. Wade, Donald Trump, without even a moment’s hesitation — you would think he’d reflect on it for a second — said ‘no, no regrets,'” she said. “You know, I do believe bad behavior should result in a consequence. Well, we will make sure he does face a consequence, and that will be at the ballot box in November.”

If elected, Harris vowed to take action to defend abortion rights.

“I promise you, when I am President of the United States and Congress passes a bill to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, I will proudly sign it into law.”

The speech also touched on voting rights, gun control and LGBTQ rights.

“We are witnessing, across our nation, a full-on attack on hard-fought, hard-won, fundamental freedoms and rights across our nation, like the freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride,” she said. “We know what we’re dealing with in this moment, and we must remember as the generations of Americans before us who led the fight for freedom, the baton
is now in our hands.”

Walz, who took the stage before Harris, delivered a brief, 15-minute speech, during which he praised Wisconsin leaders including Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Governor Evers, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Senator Tammy Baldwin, and poked fun at the Republican National Convention.

“You know, it was only a month ago that the Republican Party gathered here for their convention — right here on this very spot,” he said to loud boos from the crowd. “They left here riding high. They were feeling good. This thing was over. Well trust me, Milwaukee, a hell of a lot can change in four weeks.”

“You run a campaign based on fear, like them, you’re going to run into a little trouble when you run into a campaign that’s based on joy. These guys are focused on the past — like the 1850s past — This campaign is focused on your future.”

With 77 days remaining until the presidential election, Walz tapped into a motivating role, evoking his days as a football coach and urging voters to “keep showing up.”

“We are not waking up on that 78th day without knowing we left it all on the field.”

Before the start of the program, DJ Shawna Nicols warmed up the crowd with a bass-heavy soundtrack of Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, J Balvin and more.

Harris, who shared the stage with Walz during her speech, was briefly interrupted twice. Early on, members of the crowd began protesting the war in Gaza. They were eventually removed from the arena.

Harris also paused when an audience member on the floor near the stage appeared to need medical assistance. The attendee, who appeared conscious, was escorted out of the arena via wheelchair.

Harris and Walz were greeted at the airport by Mayor Johnson; Wisconsin State Assembly assistant minority leader, Rep. Kalan Haywood, and Jose Perez, president of the Milwaukee Common Council.

The rally marked Harris’ seventh visit to Wisconsin this year and third since President Joe Biden dropped his election bid. Her previous visit — and first joint Midwest stop with Walz — was to Eau Claire on Aug. 7. That rally had 12,000 attendees, nearly tripling that of her earlier West Allis appearance.

More than four hours before Harris took the stage, the plaza at Deer District was nearly at capacity, filled with supporters waiting to enter the building. A long line snaked along the north side of the building, while a handful of counter protesters held signs on the sidewalk along Juneau Avenue.

In a statement released ahead of the event, the Harris Campaign said the rally would “reflect the historic energy we’re seeing on the ground — energy that our campaign is using to reach and mobilize the voters we need to win this November.”

Since the Harris for President campaign launched, the Wisconsin Democratic Coordinated Campaign reports record-breaking new volunteer signups.

“We have more than 170 full-time staff working in 48 coordinated offices across 43 counties – including 32 counties that Trump won in 2020 – mobilizing volunteers in every corner of Wisconsin,” the group said in a statement.

At the conclusion of the Milwaukee event, attendees were encouraged to remain in the plaza, where a large projector screen broadcasted speeches from Former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff at the DNC.

This article has been updated to include a new attendance total, which was announced after publication.

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