CHICAGO — Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton are headlining the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, the third day of the party’s choreographed rollout of a new candidate, Kamala Harris, and her pitch to voters.
Other expected speakers include House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Wednesday’s program also includes two governors, Wes Moore of Maryland and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and several Democratic senators: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Booker and actress Mindy Kaling will host Wednesday.
Stevie Wonder and John Legend are expected to perform, as well.
John Legend, joined by Sheila E., do their sound check before the start of day three of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
But the night is all about a former teacher, football coach, U.S. representative, and governor who is now the Democrats’ nominee for vice president. Walz faces dual tasks in his speech as he accepts his party’s nomination. The Minnesota governor, who has become known among supporters as a folksy, Midwestern teacher, coach and dad, will introduce himself to the rest of the country. He’ll also need to articulate the campaign’s central message, and theme for the evening: that a second Donald Trump term would imperil American liberties.
DNC 2024 Day 3 live updates: Gov. Tim Walz, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi to speak Wednesday
Who is Tim Walz?
Wednesday afternoon Walz did his walkthrough at the United center, smiling as he checked out the stage. For many Democrats he is a key part of a winning game plan for November.
“I have seen campaigns spend millions of dollars trying to make their candidates seem like the kind of guy who would be a National Guardsman, a school teacher and a football coach,” said Buttigieg. “He literally is that guy!”
Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris chose him to join her ticket. In his first weeks of campaigning, he’s charmed supporters with his background as a teacher and football coach and helped to balance Harris’ coastal background as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.
But Walz also has faced scrutiny, including questions about embellishing his background. His wife this week clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a 2018 comment he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.
Still, polling data shows that despite early hiccups, Walz has had a smoother launch as Harris’ running mate than Republican JD Vance, Trump’s pick for vice president.
About one-third of U.S. adults (36%) have a favorable view of Walz, while about one-quarter (27%) have a positive opinion of Vance, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Significantly more adults also have an unfavorable view of Vance than Walz, 44% to 25%.
DNC speaker schedule for night 3
The full program for day three of the DNC has not yet been released, but the Democratic National Committee confirmed we will here from the following speakers tonight:
- Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy
- Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
- Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
- House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi
- Maryland Governor Wes Moore
- Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
- Former Mike Pence advisor Olivia Troye
- Former Georgia Lietuenant Governor Geoff Duncan
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz
We will post the complete program for night three when it is released.
‘A fight for our freedoms’
The third night of the convention marks a transition from Tuesday’s exuberant party atmosphere to a theme that organizers have dubbed “a fight for our freedoms.” Harris is portraying former President Trump as a threat to democracy in general as well as to abortion rights and other personal choices in particular.
To help shepherd the campaign’s message, Walz will be joined by Clinton – a veteran of the political convention speech – as well as a mix of the party’s other top stars, including Buttigieg, Pelosi and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Convention organizers say those speeches will be balanced by remarks from what they describe as “everyday Americans” whose freedoms hinge on the upcoming election.
Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of the nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All, is expected to speak on reproductive rights, which Harris’ campaign sees as a key motivator for Democratic voters this fall.
The week so far has been a balancing act for Harris and other Democrats to harness the exuberance that has swept over their party since President Joe Biden stepped aside while making clear to their supporters that the election will be a fierce fight.
Delegates pumped up after 2 nights of inspiring speeches
Each day of the convention has been memorable in its own right. At the Illinois delegation meeting Wednesday morning, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stopped by to speak. They also got extra motivation and encouragement from other leaders to get the job done for Harris.
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock reiterated that Harris represents the party’s future, and delegates need to do their part.
“Are y’all ready to win this election? Are y’all ready to get it done?” he asked them.
Seeing the Obamas Tuesday night left many in awe, and Michelle Obama’s call to action left them more motivated than ever.
“I mean, last night, Michelle and Barack, they were just both off the charts. They were so instructive. They were so inspirational,” said Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago).
“I think the energy is there, the Democratic, you know, base, the Democratic, regular Democrats, older Democrats. I think you can feel the unity of the Democrats coming along. I think every day is a crescendo in the showdown,” said State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago).
And labor leaders also promised to do some of the heavy lifting for Harris between now and November.
“During this election cycle, we will be putting out the largest ground game in the history of the American labor movement,” said AFL-CIO Secretary Ferd Redman.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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