Takeaways from Kamala Harris Milwaukee rally: High energy crowd in last month's RNC venue

Vice President Kamala Harris rallied more than 15,000 supporters at Fiserv Forum Tuesday, breaking away from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to speak to the raucous crowd in the packed Milwaukee arena that hosted the Republican convention last month.

"Wisconsin, we have 77 days until the election. 77 days. And look, we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end," Harris told the crowd. "We have hard work ahead of us, but we like hard work. Hard work is good work, and with your help this November, we will win."

Harris spoke to the crowd in Milwaukee for some 20 minutes, with several minutes live streamed into the Chicago arena after the roll call of the states established her as the Democratic nominee. The move allowed her to speak to two packed arenas at the same time — an unusual move.

The event was the biggest rally the campaign has had in Wisconsin to date, and among its largest nationally.

Attendees celebrated the candidates' decision to come here, noting it showed the critical role the state will play in the presidential race.

"A lot of pundits are saying the road to the White House is going to go through Wisconsin," said Dan Weiner, a voter from Appleton who made the drive to Milwaukee to see Harris. "I agree with it. It’s important and it’s kind of cool for Wisconsin to be that vital for Wisconsinites, no matter what side you're on."

People started lining up hours before the event, where Harris and vice-presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz both spoke to the crowd. The rally, which featured DJ Shawna, had a soundtrack heavy with Beyonce songs

Hours earlier, former President Donald Trump's vice-presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spoke to supporters outside the Kenosha County Courthouse.

Here are some takeaways from Harris' third visit to Wisconsin since ascending to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket late last month:

Chicago may have landed the Democratic National Convention, but Harris and Walz chose to head north to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

Harris and Walz traveled the 88 miles from the Democratic National Convention's United Center venue in Chicago to Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee to hold Tuesday's rally.

"I think it's a really smart move for them to come to a battleground state as the convention is kicking off and feel that excitement right alongside voters," said Melissa Baldauff, a Milwaukee-based Democratic political strategist. "And not just with folks who would be going to the Dem convention, but voters."

Jennifer Buda from Milwaukee said she had "never been to a campaign thing before," and came to the rally with her daughter "just to experience it."

"People who, obviously, would never have gone to the DNC are able to come here and experience seeing her and Mr. Walz,” Buda said.

"Milwaukee's proximity to the Chicago convention site gives Democrats a unique opportunity to build momentum behind the campaign in a population center where voter turnout can be pivotal to the statewide result," said Philip Rocco, associate professor of political science at Marquette University.

Basically, Milwaukee is kind of a big deal.

Their remarks came two days before Harris is scheduled to formally accept the party's presidential nomination in Chicago.

Harris was livestreamed from Milwaukee into the Chicago arena after the roll call of the states established her as the Democratic nominee. For several minutes, she spoke to two packed arenas at the same time — an unusual move.

Four years later than expected, Milwaukee gets its DNC moment in the spotlight

Four years ago, it was supposed to be Harris and now-President Joe Biden cementing their presidential ticket on the arena's stage during Milwaukee's 2020 Democratic National Convention. But the COVID-19 pandemic ruined those plans, turning the convention into a mostly virtual event.

Harris's rally Tuesday took place four years to the day that Biden would have accepted the party's nomination in the same arena had the pandemic not scuttled those plans. Biden instead accepted the nomination from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del.

The timing shows that Democrats have not forgotten Milwaukee and Wisconsin, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. He also noted the unique circumstances of this year's RNC and DNC.

"These conventions — both the RNC and the DNC — have been full of surprises," he said. "Having Donald Trump at every single night of the RNC seated prominently was a departure from the norm, and now having the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, leave the DNC, come to another city and host a large rally outside of the gathering in Chicago, I think also is a little out of the norm. I'm excited about it either way."

But Republicans were not impressed.

“In 2020 the Democrats abandoned Milwaukee weeks before their convention — but four years later, Republicans kept their promise" to hold the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement.

Another sign Democrats learned lessons from the 2016 election?

The Harris-Walz rally marks Harris's third in Wisconsin since she ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket late last month and her seventh since the beginning of the year.

It's a far cry from the 2016 election that has loomed large in Democrats' minds because of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's loss to Donald Trump in the key swing state she had not visited during the general election.

Tim Walz ribs Trump on RNC speech and convention 'energy'

From the arena where Donald Trump stood just a month ago, Walz mocked Trump's Republican National Convention speech and the "energy" in Fiserv Forum.

"It doesn't sound like any of you watched it, but in case you didn't, after promising us a speech that was going to be about unity and promising that he was a changed man, Donald Trump subjected us to 92 minutes of ranting and raving insanity," Walz said. "Now look, they left here riding high. They were feeling good. This thing was over. Well, trust me, Milwaukee, a hell of a lot can change in four weeks."

He also trolled Trump on the energy in the room.

"You might have heard over there that convention and the energy over there is like nothing you've seen," Walz said. "But here's what I'm really excited about. Not only do we have massive energy in our convention, we got a hell of a lot more energy now where they had their convention."

Walz noted there were "15,000 plus" people in attendance at Fiserv Forum, a number that was later confirmed by the campaign, which required free tickets to enter.

Trump is famously focused on the size of his crowds.

Gov. Tony Evers was 'jazzed as hell' for the roll call

Wisconsin's roll call started out so strong — and people in Fiserv Forum were ready to "Jump Around" as House of Pain blasted through the arena.

But then, as the DNC in Chicago was broadcast on the jumbotron, Gov. Tony Evers fumbled over his words as he cast Wisconsin's 94 votes for Harris, saying he'd "get there" amid his speech.

"I'm jazzed as hell ... to announce that Wisconsin casts one vote present and 94 votes for former Wisconsinite tonight, Vice President and our next President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris," he eventually said to cheers.

Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton and Peter Feigin join the party

The Milwaukee Bucks were right at home during the rally, with Bucks president Peter Feigin and all-star forward Khris Middleton in attendance.

Bucks players, coaches and executives have made forays into politics over the years. Most notably, the team was owned for nearly 30 years by Wisconsin business magnate and a longtime Democratic senator — the late Herb Kohl. He committed $100 million to help build Fiserv Forum and famously kept the Bucks in Milwaukee, rebuffing offers over the years.

Since joining the Bucks in 2014, Feigin led the Bucks' social justice initiatives, specifically advocating against police violence. As protests consumed America during the pandemic in 2020 following the police killing of George Floyd, Bucks players also marched in Milwaukee. A different police shooting in Kenosha of Jacob Blake led to the Bucks refusing to take the court for playoff game while in the Orlando "bubble."

No Bucks were spotted in the crowd during the RNC.

Wisconsinites can expect plenty of candidate visits this fall

Vance held a press conference Tuesday in Kenosha to "celebrate law enforcement," speaking before a crowd of about 100 people who had gathered. The vice-presidential candidate was accompanied by Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner and high-profile Wisconsin Republicans U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil and U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde.

Vance also joked that he "basically lives in Wisconsin now," with the race toward the Nov. 5 election in full swing. The trip is his third to Wisconsin in as many weeks.

"Obviously politically, Wisconsin may be very well the most important state in the country come November," Vance told reporters. "And we believe that, we know that, all the polling says it. But most of all, you feel it on the ground."

Rachel Hale and Jessie Opoien of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this story.

Mary Spicuzza can be reached at [email protected]. Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected]. Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Takeaways from Kamala Harris' raucous Milwaukee rally