Vice President Kamala Harris made her case for the presidency to an energetic crowd in the gymnasium at West Allis Central High School in Milwaukee on Tuesday — two days after President Joe Biden decided to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
The rally in the key swing state of Wisconsin, scheduled before Biden decided to drop out of the race, was Harris’ first as the near-certain Democratic nominee, gathered enough delegates to secure the nomination on Monday. The energy at the rally was palpable, with rallygoers embracing Harris’ candidacy after weeks of uncertainty that plagued Democrats following Biden’s volatile debate performance in June.
Harris drew a pointed contrast between her campaign and that of former President Donald Trump.
“Ultimately, in this election, each of us faces the question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” Harris said. “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and the rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hatred?”
She cited her experience as California attorney general, San Francisco district attorney and prosecutor, saying it prepared her to run against Trump.
“In those roles, I faced all kinds of perpetrators — predators who abused women, con artists who defrauded consumers, con artists who made their own rules,” Harris said. “So listen to me, I know Donald Trump’s type.” The crowd erupted in cheers and chants of “Kamala!” “Kamala!” Kamala!”
Harris said she would “proudly” put her record on the line against Trump any day. But she also stressed that the campaign is not “just about us versus Donald Trump.”
“This campaign is about who we’re fighting for,” Harris said, adding that it will be a “people-driven” campaign.
“This campaign is also about two different visions for our nation — one that focuses on the future, and one that focuses on the past,” Harris said. “We believe in a future where everyone has a chance not just to survive but to advance, a future where no child has to grow up in poverty, where every worker has the freedom to join a union, where everyone has affordable health care, child care, and paid family leave… That means building a middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”
Harris was welcomed in Milwaukee by Wisconsin Democratic leaders, many of whom announced their support for Harris within 48 hours of Biden’s announcement. Before Harris took the stage, those leaders sought to underscore the stakes of the election.
Gov. Tony Evers said that on his excitement scale — which ranges from “oh, mackerel” to “hell, yes” — he was “hellishly excited” to welcome Harris to Wisconsin. He said the choice had never been clearer.
“Donald Trump and JD Vance’s path to taking power, destroying our democracy and taking away our freedoms runs right through the state of Wisconsin, and we’re going to stop them,” Evers said.
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, who kicked off the event, said Trump and his vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, want to take the country back. He told rallygoers to Google Project 2025, a 900-page document created by the Heritage Foundation that is meant to serve as a policy blueprint for the Trump administration.
Before taking the stage, Wikler told reporters that the biggest challenge of the campaign “is already in the past.”
“If you asked me six weeks ago what was the biggest challenge of this campaign? I would have said the biggest challenge is that a lot of voters have stopped paying attention. They’re not listening. They’re not paying attention to what Trump wants to do to this country,” Wikler said.
“This is one of the most exciting and compelling presidential elections in modern history, and Vice President Harris is an unparalleled messenger of freedom, of expanding democracy, of hope and opportunity, of lifting up working people in every corner of this country,” Wikler said.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley told the Examiner he is starting to see enthusiasm for Harris online, at home from his wife and daughters and generally.
“We’ve had distractions over the last few weeks, the last few months — whether Biden stays in this race or not, and a lot of Democrats calling for him to leave,” Crowley said. “This gives us an opportunity to refocus on the issues at hand — focus on reproductive rights, focus on making sure we can move this country forward and really unite this country.”
Vice President Harris Cites Biden’s ‘Legacy of Achievement’ as Support for Her Candidacy Grows
The issue of reproductive rights was raised repeatedly by elected officials, rally attendees and in Harris’ speeches.
“We trust women to make decisions about their own bodies,” Harris said.
Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski rallied the crowd by saying Harris could finally support break the “glass ceiling.” She told the Examiner that Harris would be able to push reproductive rights to the forefront of the campaign in part because she is a woman.
“For a long time, women have felt that reproductive rights were treated as something secondary, and one of the reasons for that is because we don’t have women fighting on the front lines,” Godlewski said.[Harris] understands that it’s our body, it’s our choice, and it’s not going to be a second- or third-class issue. It’s going to be a top priority for her to make sure that we get those reproductive rights back once and for all.”
According to the Harris campaign, more than 3,000 people attended the rally, making it the largest event of the year for the Biden campaign, now Harris.
Déysha Smith-Jenkins, a freelance journalist from Milwaukee, said she felt “excited” after the speech.
“I love how she emphasized ‘We.’ I didn’t hear what ‘I will.’ It was ‘We’ — We as a people, we as a nation, we as a Democratic party, so that we can continue to fight and get this work done. … I’m sweating with excitement,” Smith-Jenkins said. “I believe the words she said.”
Smith-Jenkins said she had planned to attend the rally before Biden withdrew, but Harris’ candidacy gave her a reason to wear a “green suit.” She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. — also known as — a historically black sorority, which Harris joined at Howard University.
“Now that [Kamala Harris] it was already [VPOTUS]president doesn’t seem too far away, so it just means there’s no dream that’s too big, too far away, that you can’t achieve, and it’s amazing to see someone who looks like me in that position. And also, we’re just in the same sisterhood,” Smith-Jenking said. “It’s beautiful.”
Jodi Jean Amble attended the rally with her 9-year-old daughter Ada. She said she wanted her daughter to see a black woman running for president.
“[My daughter] she said this morning she didn’t know if she wanted to come, but she thought when she grew up she’d regret it if she didn’t,” Amble said. “I think she knows she’s seeing a big piece of history.”
Chris Ahmuty, a Milwaukee retiree who served as executive director of the Wisconsin ACLU, said Harris’ candidacy “gives us a chance to reset the election and gives us real hope.” He was at a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is being challenged by Republican millionaire businessman Eric Hovde, when he and other attendees learned Biden would withdraw.
“Its not about [Biden’s] usefulness until the end of the term. He is fully functional. He certainly did a good job … but I have been worried for a long time, what will happen in two years? What will happen in three years? Are we just postponing the crisis?” Ahmuty said.
Ahmuty, who has lived in Milwaukee since 1972, said he appreciates that Harris, who is 59, is younger. He said he hopes the “campaign reset” will solidify the Democratic base and attract voters who were less enthusiastic about Biden, including younger voters.
Ava Hicks, 16, of Milwaukee said the news of Biden dropping out of the race was thrilling for her.
“I think we’re all tired of these old candidates and the constant repetition, so it’s nice to see something fresh,” Hicks said.
Hicks noted that she won’t be able to vote in November, but “it’s really important for everyone to get out.” She belongs to the High School Democrats of America and said she will be working on organizing and raising awareness until November.
“Women’s rights, the cost of education, all of this will be on the ballot in November,” she said.
In a similar tone, Harris told rally attendees that there is still much to be done in the 105 days left until the November 5 election.
“We’ve got doors to knock on. We’ve got phone calls to make. Wisconsin, today I ask you, are you ready to get to work? Are you ready to fight for it? When we fight, we win,” Harris said before leaving the stage to Beyonce’s “Freedom.”
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