Walz and Harris Kick Off Swing State Tour With Philly Rally

Just 91 days away from the November election, Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday held a rally in Pennsylvania to introduce her running mate and "the kind of vice president America deserves," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

While blasting the policies embraced by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Harris stressed to a cheering crowd that she and Walz are not just running against the Republicans, but "our campaign, this campaign is a fight for the future."

"Since the day that I announced my candidacy, I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future, a leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward, a fighter for the middle class, a patriot who believes as I do in the extraordinary promise of America—a promise of freedom, opportunity, and justice not just for some but for all," she said. "So Pennsylvania, I'm here today because I found such a leader."

Harris took time to introduce Walz to the national audience—he is a political leader most Americans aren't familiar with, according to polling released Tuesday. Before becoming governor, the 60-year-old Nebraska native served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Army National Guard, and as a high school social studies teacher, football coach, and gay-straight alliance faculty adviser.

Walz met his wife Gwen when they were teaching at the same school. As Republican policymakers across the United States have attacked reproductive freedom—including in vitro fertilization (IVF)—he has shared how fertility treatments enabled them to have their children, Hope and Gus. In Philadelphia, he recalled their efforts to grow their family and told those who try to limit reproductive healthcare, "Mind your own damn business!"

The vice presidential candidate also took aim at Trump—who he said "sows chaos and division"—and his criminal history. The Republican nominee was recently convicted in New York and faces dozens of charges for three ongoing cases, two of which stem from Trump's refusal to accept his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden and another related to classified materials.

"Donald Trump would damn sure take us backward—let's be clear about that. And don't believe him when he plays dumb" on Project 2025, Walz warned, referring to a Heritage Foundation-led initiative that includes a sweeping policy agenda for the next right-wing president.

"His running mate shares his dangerous and backward agenda for this country," Walz said. The governor expressed his enthusiasm for debating Vance and called out the senator for "trashing" where he came from in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

"These guys are creepy and yes, just weird as hell," Walz said, leaning into a now-widely embraced descriptor. "That's what you see."

The rally featured chants such as "We will win" and "We're not going back." It also featured promises of what Walz and Harris would prioritize in office, from abortion rights to paid family leave and gun control.

After the event in Philadelphia, the pair plans to visit Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada. The Associated Pressreported that "a scheduled stop in Savannah, Georgia, was canceled due to the expected effects of Hurricane Debby."

Before Harris and Walz took the stage on Tuesday, Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro—who was on the short list of potential vice presidential picks who interviewed for the job over the weekend—delivered a passionate speech to the packed arena. As Walz later put it, "Holy hell, can this guy bring the fire."

Others who were vetted to be Harris' running mate—including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and JB Pritzker of Illinois—welcomed Walz's selection, as did other governors, members of Congress, Biden administration leaders including the president, and climate, labor, and reproductive rights groups.

Walz has the support of anti-Trump Republicans like former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and progressives including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as well as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

The caucus' political action committee enthusiastically endorsed the Harris-Walz presidential ticket. In a joint statement, Jayapal and her PAC co-chairs—Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)—said that "a true champion for working families, Tim Walz represents the best of the Midwest. As a teacher, coach, union member, veteran, and lifelong public servant, he has done more to help middle-class families get ahead than any other statewide leader in recent memory. And it is these Midwestern values and conviction in fighting for everyday Americans that will make him an excellent vice president to Kamala Harris."

"A hero to Minnesotans as the leader of the Democratic Farm-Labor Party, Gov. Walz has proven that progressive policies like paid family and medical leave, universal background checks, investments in clean energy, an expanded child tax credit, and lowering healthcare costs are not only popular—they're possible," they said. "A father and husband, he knows that reproductive freedom—including IVF—is a right that must be guaranteed to all Americans."

The trio emphasized that "he knows LGBTQ+ Americans deserve to live without fear of discrimination or mistreatment. He knows that rural and marginalized communities have been left behind, and fought to pass the largest tax cut in Minnesota history to give working people much-needed relief. And he has done so by building a broad and diverse coalition that rejects extremism, hatred, and the radical MAGA agenda."

"For these reasons and more, the Progressive Caucus enthusiastically endorses the Harris-Walz Democratic ticket and applauds Kamala Harris for selecting a leader who will strengthen and expand our movement," they added. "Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz will unify the country around a popular agenda that is focused on meeting the urgent needs of everyday people and rebuilding the American dream for the poor, working, and middle class. Now it's time to put in the work and make our vision a reality."