Harris, Walz make first joint Midwest stop at rally in Eau Claire
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Roughly 12,000 people turned out to a rally in a rural area of Eau Claire on Wednesday afternoon to see Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly-minted running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the campaign said, in their first appearance in the Midwest since cementing the ticket.
Supporters said they waited hours to get in for a chance to hear them speak, and said they're excited to get out and vote for the ticket. Some said they're energized in a way they weren't before when President Joe Biden, who dropped out just over two weeks ago, was the presumptive nominee.
Walz was the first to come out, looking joyful. He appeared to be adjusting to the national attention.
"Donald Trump, he sees the world differently," Walz said in his speech. "He has no understanding of service because he's too busy servicing himself."
Walz then introduced the Vice President, who came out to thunderous cheers. Both said the road to victory for their ticket runs through Wisconsin.
"Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion, rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?" Harris said.
"I've seen more people on the fence have a new energy, people who were excited about Obama. I see them coming around," said Melissa Kono of Independence, Wisconsin. "I don't have to be excited about my candidate, I vote for the policies I believe in. And the candidates that support them."
Eau Claire is one of the blue spots in a sea of red in western Wisconsin; both parties say they plan to focus on western Wisconsin counties to try and squeeze some more votes out.
"I think it's awesome she came to Eau Claire, not far from Minneapolis — for her to prioritize this early in the campaign and this turnout is really hopeful for what's to come," Kono said.
In 2016, Donald Trump won Wisconsin by about 20,000 votes. Four years later Joe Biden won by just about the same margin.
