Current U.S. Vice President and Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris held her first rally with her vice presidential running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
The campaign duo were preceded by several elected officials who announced their support. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker addressed the crowd shortly after the rally began, speaking to Harris’ impact on the city directly:
“As VP she has continued to deliver time and time again for the City of Philadelphia and I’ve only been here for seven months,” said Parker.
This was in reference to Harris’ first campaign visit to Philadelphia where she talked to women “about the power of unity and addressing issues extremely important to those in our nation,” as well as $638 million that was sent from D.C. to Philadelphia for water infrastructure, mass transit and environmental remediation.
U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey also endorsed Harris and Walz, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro who referred to Harris and Walz as his friends and stated his support for Walz as the vice presidential pick, calling him an “outstanding man, governor, teacher, patriot.” He also highlighted the Harris-Walz campaign focus of “real freedom.”
As Harris and Walz walked on the stage, the crowd was energetic, holding up campaign signs and waving dressed in Harris shirts.
“This campaign is not just a fight against Donald Trump. This campaign is a fight for the future,” said Harris.
Harris stated that her and Walz’s values of freedom are the “freedom to vote, freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride, the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her body.”
She listed Walz’s many attributes, capitalizing on his former identity as a football coach that led Mankato West High School to its first-ever state championship.
“In 91 days, the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: Vice President of the United States,” stated Harris.
As Governor, Walz has developed an everyman persona, considered relatable for his rural roots and long career as a high school teacher before entering politics. “I think Tim Walz is great. I think that he’s like a regular guy. And he’s somebody that can talk to regular people -– in Michigan, in Pennsylvania, in Wisconsin. Democrats need that. Sometimes Democrats are thought of as too elite. They need to talk to regular people,” said former Republican Congressman and current member of Republicans for Harris, Joe Walsh.
Harris and Walz also discussed the fragile state of the Affordable Care Act and their determination to keep it in place.
“If Donald Trump gets a chance, he will end the Affordable Care Act,” said Walz. He continued, “Healthcare is a right, not just a privilege.”
Aside from healthcare, the Harris-Walz campaign also has a large focus on union workers and strengthening the middle-class.
“When our middle-class is strong, America is strong … strengthening our middle-class will be the defining goal of my campaign,” said Harris.
Members from the Actors’ Equity Association — defined as “the national union of professional actors and stage managers in the U.S” — were present at the rally. When asked why they chose to support Harris for president, their answers reflected her campaign’s support for unions.
“Our union is the direct intersection between arts and labor, so we see both sides of the coin always…we know how both drive each other… So we love that this administration now, and Kamala later on when she’s elected, will continue the trajectory of pro-union, pro-arts so that funding towards the arts goes to where it needs for our members and then for everyone else because we know that arts funds so many things in so many cities,” said Actors’ Equity Association member Rashaan James II.
Harris also highlighted her dedication to a woman’s right to choose. She referenced former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that he wanted to “punish women” and further pushed her belief that women should be allowed to choose what happens to their bodies.
In response, the crowd chanted, “We’re not going back” — a key slogan of the Harris Walz campaign, to drive her point that under a Harris presidency, America will not be returning to a time where it placed restrictions on women or other individuals, promising to restore reproductive freedom in her tenure as president.
Other goals of the Harris presidential campaign include: reasonable gun safety including universal background checks, pure water and safe communities.
Walz called out his opponents on their transparency. “Don’t believe [Trump] when he plays dumb. He knows exactly what Project 2025 would do…These guys are creepy and yes, just weird as Hell.”
At the end of the rally, Harris promised that she and Walz’s campaign “will reach out to everyone.” She finished her speech with her campaign tagline – “When we fight, we win.”
The Harris campaign emphasized the importance of the youth vote, especially for college students.
“If university students care about this democracy — we’re now 248 years old — they should do everything they can to make sure Trump doesn’t get back in there cause he would destroy our democracy, so that should be enough motivation. But then, get excited about these two. Our first female president. Our first female president, a woman of color. This is cool stuff,” said Walsh.
Rashaan James II also chimed in with, “Vote with your heart for the person who’s going to make the most sense. And I think that person is gonna be the person who thinks about humans and there’s only one.”
Viewers can watch the rally here. For more information on voter registration, click here. The 2024 General Election will take place on Nov. 5.