In Final Wisconsin Appearance, Walz Touts His Small Town Roots

Gov. Tim Walz in West Allis on Nov. 4. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

“Election’s tomorrow and we are not taking anything for granted,” said Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz Monday night at the final rally of his three-stop trip through Wisconsin “Twenty-four hours to a better future.”

Walz charged onto the stage to John Mellencamp‘s “I Was Born In A Small Town” and spent much of his approximately 12-minute speech talking about his Nebraska roots and promoting his running mate Kamala Harris, all without making a single explicit reference to Donald Trump.

“She and I both come from the middle class, we have lived this experience, we will be relying on that experience every day in the White House,” said the Minnesota governor at a rally at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center in West Allis.

Walz, a former high school teacher and assistant high school football coach, also delivered a lengthy football metaphor that seemed to turn the campaign into a two-minute drill with Harris at quarterback.

“Wisconsin, win this thing for America,” he said.

The vice presidential candidate had already spent much of day flying from La Crosse to Stevens Point to Milwaukee. And he quickly left the stage, with a rally scheduled for 10:30 p.m. in Detroit.

In his brief West Allis speech, he pivoted from talking about the economy and hard work to women’s reproductive rights. But instead of speaking to women in the room, he said he was talking to the guys in the room about their girlfriends and wives. “Their lives are literally at stake in this election,” said Walz.

Walz was preceded by Senator Tammy Baldwin, Governor Tony Evers and Congresswoman Gwen Moore, his former U.S. House colleague. Calling them “three of the best public servants in America,” Walz encouraged voters to reelect Baldwin and Moore and send them back to Washington.

“You could have been anywhere tonight, but you showed up here because you love America,” said Walz. He also thanked his wife Gwen and two children, who were said to be traveling with him. “We get the opportunity to shape the future for generations to come.”

Evers used his time on the stage to remind everyone to vote. And if you share a polling place with the Governor’s Mansion, Evers confirmed you will have a chance of seeing him Tuesday. Despite a record surge of in-person early voting, Evers confirmed that he and his wife Kathy Evers will be voting on election day.

Several other politicians could be spotted in the room, including Wauwatosa alderman Sean Lowe, who won his aldermanic race by a single vote, West Allis Mayor Dan Devine, Milwaukee alderwoman Larresa Taylor and state representative Christine Sinicki. Teacher Adrien Calvert introduced Walz, having introduced Harris in her stop at the same venue Friday. Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler could also be spotted in the crowd.

The crowd was considerably smaller than the 5,000 people that were at the Baird Center Sunday to see Barack Obama and many of the same opening speakers.

Milwaukee native Eric Benet, an R&B singer, gave a multi-song performance after all of the speakers concluded.

The Trump campaign hosted a final rally in Milwaukee Sunday evening with former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, race car driver Danica Patrick and former ESPN commentator Sage Steele. Baldwin’s opponent Eric Hovde held a bus tour Monday, but did not stop in Milwaukee.

Polls open at 7 a.m.

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