The DNC is in Chicago but Kamala Harris' Fiserv Forum rally puts Wisconsin front and center
CHICAGO – The Democratic National Convention is in Chicago.
But early this week, Wisconsin is taking the spotlight.
Democrats will gather Tuesday evening in Fiserv Forum for a rally with Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on what will be the second day of the party's presidential nominating convention just 88 miles down the road.
It is a notable moment for a party riding a new wave of energy since Harris assumed her place at the top of the Democratic ticket. In the midst of the convention where Democrats are expected to project unity and build on enthusiasm, Harris is keeping her focus on a battleground state critical to her chances in November.
"I don’t know if I need to mention this," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler told Wisconsin delegates in downtown Chicago on Monday, "but Wisconsin is at the center of the political universe."
Wisconsin Democrats have billed the Milwaukee visit as "part of history," and the Harris campaign described it as a rally and watch party wrapped into one.
In addition to speeches, Harris and Walz will watch convention proceedings live with the crowd in Fiserv Forum — including former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama's primetime speeches from the United Center.
And while Tuesday's rally is a clear-cut example, Wisconsin's national importance came into focus in the opening moments of convention week.
Walz, whom Harris tapped as her running mate no more than two weeks ago, kicked off the Wisconsin delegation's Monday breakfast with a pep talk focused on November. The Minnesota governor addressed the delegates as his "neighbors" before describing his whirlwind journey since becoming Harris' running mate from Nebraska to Nevada to Georgia to Eau Claire, where more than 12,000 people came out earlier this month to hear Harris and Walz speak.
"In every one of those cases, people are showing up for these things for that very simple reason: They love this country," Walz told the delegates. He said "nobody in this room needs to be told what the alternative is," referencing former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. The race, he said, is about "setting the course for a future that's brighter for everyone."
Walz praised Wisconsin Democrats for their work, claiming more than 42,000 people signed up to volunteer for the party in Wisconsin since Harris became the presidential nominee.
"It's not a plan to hope that we beat these guys," Walz said, later adding: "I am not waking up the day after this election and not thinking we left it all on the field. We are going to leave it all on the field."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also spoke to the delegates, repeatedly praising Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is in a closely watched reelection race this year that will help determine whether Democrats maintain their slim Senate majority.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, credited Baldwin with helping to push through key pieces of infrastructure legislation and advocating for reproductive and same-sex marriage rights. He mentioned Baldwin's name at least eight times in under five minutes.
"You know who delivered for Wisconsin, who delivered for America," Schumer said. "At the very top of the list is your senator Tammy Baldwin."
He took aim at Baldwin's Republican opponent, multimillionaire banking executive Eric Hovde, who has been dogged by Democrats for his ties to California.
"Her opponent knows so little about Wisconsin — he's been away for so long — that he thinks when it's 24 degrees he should get a bathing suit and jump in a frozen lake," Schumer said, referencing videos Hovde posted of himself in a Madison lake.
Wisconsin Republicans accuse Democrats of hiding record on inflation, border
Wisconsin Republicans, for their part, sought to tamp down the early Democratic energy. Matt Fisher, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, blamed Democrats for inflation and the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. And he accused Democrats of using popular people to hide their record.
"After four years of high inflation, chaos at the border, and instability at home and abroad, Democrats will need far more than a handful of big name surrogates and empty vibes to distract Wisconsinites from their failed agenda," Fisher said.
But he also noted Wisconsin will be "key to victory" in the race for the White House and in determining who controls Congress.
Vance, Trump's running mate, plans to visit Kenosha on Tuesday to talk about crime before Harris and Walz rally in Milwaukee. It will be Vance's third trip to the state in as many weeks. He delivered remarks on crime and immigration last Friday at the Milwaukee Police Association, which endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket.
Trump has not returned to Wisconsin since the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson during a press conference at Trump International Hotel & Tower in downtown Chicago Monday said he'd like to see Trump return to Milwaukee.
Still, Harris and her surrogates have similarly been barnstorming Wisconsin since she delivered the first rally of her unexpected presidential campaign in West Allis. Tuesday's rally in Milwaukee will be her third visit to the state and, according to her campaign, will mark the first state she's visited three times since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Monday said it was "very significant" that Harris and Walz were heading to Milwaukee on the second day of the DNC. He noted Harris has made several of trips to the Milwaukee area this year.
"To come back to Milwaukee, which I've been describing sort of like the center of the political universe," Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in Chicago, "it just shows the importance of the city and shows the importance of the state of Wisconsin in this election."
And several delegates from Wisconsin this week acknowledged the new sense of energy from Democrats since Harris effectively became the face of the party.
"I can tell among the rank and file that this has injected a lot of new energy,” said delegate Bob Tatterson of Mequon, a former state Assembly candidate.
"It's a fresh face," he said. "Kamala brings a lot of joy and positive energy to the campaign. She's talking about the future. She's looking forward."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Rachel Hale contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kamala Harris' Fiserv Forum rally puts Wisconsin in the DNC spotlight
