WEST ALLIS – Vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made a final campaign stop at the Wisconsin State Fair Exposition Center in West Allis to get out the vote before Election Day.
The focus of the rally was to push everyone in attendance to make sure they urge their family, friends and neighbors to get out and vote on Election Day.
Walz was introduced to the stage by a school teacher, who stressed the benefits of Walz having a teacher background.
The speech that followed was a12-minute rundown of repeated talking points with emphasis on the crowd to get people out to vote on election day. Walz focused on positioning himself as a candidate of humble background and Midwestern values.
The governor of Minnesota then propped up his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, with a focus on both her personality and policies.
“She has brought back the joy to our politics,” Walz said.
Walz addressed issues from gun control, lowering the cost of living for the middle class, reproductive rights and issues important to seniors such as Social Security and Medicare. There was special attention given to the male vote in his speech.
“Let me speak to the guys in this room,” Walz said, “I want you to think about the women in your life that you love; their lives are literally at stake in this election.”
After the rally, Walz moved onto Michigan after completing a day of campaigning across the state of Wisconsin that included La Crosse and Stevens Point.
Rep. Gwen Moore, Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, all Wisconsin-based politicians, also gave speeches at the short rally that only lasted a little over an hour.
Moore opened the rally with remarks on the economy and how it directly relates to the middle-class families of Milwaukee. She introduced many issues that would be echoed by the speakers throughout the evening.
Moore also took some time to praise Sen. Baldwin and her work with the Affordable Care Act.
Evers spoke to the crowd about the importance of getting to the polls on election day, and even he still had to get out and vote on the day.
“Whoever wins Wisconsin will be the next president of the United States,” Evers said.
Evers also brought up that voters no longer are dealing with gerrymandered maps, and he believed this would lead to flipping the state assembly and more Democrats winning the senate, including the re-election of Baldwin.
The governor continued to nail home issues that included affordable healthcare, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.
“I want to leave my kids and grandkids with more rights and freedoms,” Evers said.
Baldwin came out to a loud applause from the crowd who also began chanting, “Tammy.”
The senator stressed the connection that candidate Walz has with the Midwest with his Nebraskan background. Baldwin dug into her opponent Eric Hovde’s economic status and background, saying he doesn’t represent the people of Wisconsin.
“Now Wisconsin,” Baldwin said, “we have a Green County, we have a Brown County. We do not have an Orange County.”
She ended her time attacking Hovde’s policies on reproductive rights and his stance on the Affordable Care Act.
Baldwin echoed a quote from former president Barack Obama whenever the crowd would boo, saying, “Don’t boo, vote.”
Throughout the rally there were moments when the crowd would respond to the speakers by cheering the campaign slogan, “We’re not going back.”
The event ended with a performance from Milwaukee native R&B artist Eric Benet with a medley of soulful songs.