Kamala Harris and Tim Walz made their primetime debut as the full 2024 Democratic ticket. Walz, a former teacher, former congressman, and veteran, was relatively unknown outside his state until now. The rally at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, with about 14,000 people in attendance, marked the first appearance of Harris and Walz together as the Democratic ticket. Harris quickly rose to the top of the ticket following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal, securing support from party leaders. Walz was chosen as her running mate to challenge Republican nominee Donald Trump in November.
Harris emphasized Walz’s background as a teacher, coach, and veteran, aiming to contrast his image with that of Trump and the Republican VP candidate, JD Vance. Walz, in turn, criticized Vance as “weird” and challenged him to a debate. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, also a potential VP pick, energized the crowd with his speech but was not ultimately chosen. Both Harris and Walz praised Shapiro’s energy and appeal to Pennsylvania voters.
The rally’s crowd size, the largest for the Harris campaign so far, was seen as a positive sign of growing support. The campaign used this to contrast with Trump’s rallies and posted a comparison on Truth Social to highlight their momentum. Walz’s debut as Harris’ running mate, along with the energy from Shapiro and the enthusiastic crowd, set the stage for a lively and competitive general election campaign against the Republican ticket.
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