Kamala Harris’ visit to Michigan held greater significance than her previous visits. This marked her first appearance as the first South Asian and Black woman who be a major party’s presidential nominee. The event took place in the Detroit Metro Airport hangar, and she introduced her running mate, Tim Waltz, the Governor of Minnesota.
The Midwestern vibe
Since President Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee, Harris’ campaign started to gain momentum. Bringing Walz by her side, we see a strong Midwestern influence. It’s obviously why any nominee needs to secure their spot by winning the key states in the Midwest, which include Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, didn’t step back and did the same. This year, he counted five visits to the Midwestern states, and he chose Senator JD Vance of Ohio, frequently referencing the University of Michigan and Ohio State.
Harris highlighted that the path to victory runs straight through Michigan. With his Midwestern dad persona, his folksy delivery, and the habit of calling our oddities, Waltz seems to be a good choice for a running mate who covers this area of the US with authenticity, not missing to spot one thing about the Republican ticket he considers to be weird.
Tim Walz not only used to coach high school football, but he’s also an avid hunter and fisherman. He used to change his own flat tires, and he’s doing all the casual activities, such as browsing vinyl records with his daughter, easily gaining public sympathy.
The Midwestern theme was also leaned by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who mentioned her friendly rivalry with Waltz when it comes to policy achievements. He’s the only governor I know who curses more than I do, she said. About his football experience, she quipped that he should help out the Vikings after they (the Lions) smoked them last year.
However, Whitmer embraces the fact that Minnesota, like Michigan, achieved a Democratic trifecta in the 2022 midterms, and the party controls the governorship and both state legislative chambers.
So, since 2022, Minnesota has repealed abortion restrictions, enacted paid family and medical leave for workers, and restricted no-knock warrants.
Waltz noted the natural bond between the Upper Midwest and praised Whitmer’s leadership, considering they share a strong union heritage in the states guarding the Great Lakes. “We’ve got a lot of shared values in this room,” he said.
The change-up
In the beginning, when Harris mentioned President Joe Biden, the crowd started to cheer, but it was Kamala Harris as the main attention. It was evident even before the event started. The crowd size was not available; however, Waltz took note that it was the largest campaign held this year.
They announced the rally as being a part of a multistate tour, and the Democratic supporters had eagerly tried to secure their tickets even if they kept quiet about how to get access. It eventually functioned through the website www.mobilize.us which posted a link for a short time until it was overwhelmed by demand.
It was a strong, young energy injected into the campaign, and younger voters and progressives who were not sure about Biden rely now on her. Compared to the Republicans, on this side the enthusiasm is obvious, and while national and swing state polls are close, Harris is striking distance in many surveys.
At this rally, supporters waved, danced, and chanted KAM-A-LA, so Harris refers to the Democrats as being happy warriors. Waltz took the stage to Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen who was loud in the speaker as party music filled the night, claiming that our new president brings joy.
Harris’s relationship with Michigan Officials
This night made one thing clear: Michigan Democrats put all the weight on Harris and Walz. They held enthusiastic speeches welcoming Harris to the state and unwavering support.
Among those who lined up to speak were Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee of Flint Township, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids, and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Holly, who freshly won the primary to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Se. Debbie Stabenow.
A close friend of Biden, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor, recalled her warning about Trump’s potential in Michigan in 2016 before the state carried him to the White House. Now she says she has a better feeling than back then, and Trump is not going to win Michigan this year. Dingell mentioned, “Michigan won’t let him win. We’re going to hold them accountable.”
Other than the glamourous enthusiastic figures, there were some notable absences as well. US Sen. Gary Peters had his traditional cross-state motorcycle trip, but he endorses Harris, and the same is doing US Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress who was hard on the Biden administration for not demanding an Israeli ceasefire in Gaza.
Gov. Whitmer captured the mood by saying, “We can send Donald Trump packing once again, and Michigan is going to do it.”
UAW, part of Harris’ Michigan strategy
Biden’s exit from the race didn’t seem to mean a decline in labor support—but the opposite.
The UAW international board endorsed Harris in her Michigan visit, as well as the Thursday event that was meant to focus on unions, and they played a crucial role in the campaign. Waltz being chosen as a running mate was seen as a nod to the influence of labor unions, and it was one point during his speech that made the crowd chant U-A-W, emphasizing how vital the unions are in securing benefits and middle-class wages for workers.
UAW President Shawn Fain has often been the target of Trump’s criticism, and he managed to deliver a fiery speech against the former president. He recalled Harris’s history as a US senator from California criticizing Trump during the 2019 GM strike for allowing auto plants to close in Michigan and elsewhere during his presidency.
Fain complimented Harris in contrast to his Trump speech, where he claimed he knows nothing about the auto industry. Harris embraced the peace and affirmed that the UAW knows what it’s fighting for and also knows how to win.
It’s important to notice that Michigan has a higher percentage of union members than the national average—12%—crossing the 10% rate of 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Middle-class kids
Kamala Harris referred to her candidacy for president having Waltz next to her on stage as they are two middle-class kids, referring to her upbringing in California by her hardworking mom and Walz, who has experience working on a farm in Nebraska while growing up. She called it the promise of America, getting close to her public as she and her running mate can relate to them.
She tackled another pressing issue, which is inflation, and recognized that this is a key point of Republican criticism against her and said that bringing down prices would be a top priority from day one, as she took on price-fixing schemes when she was in California’s attorney general. It’s to be seen if she convinced Michiganders and the other people who feel the pinch of inflation these days.
Read next: 5 Reasons Why the Democrats Chose Kamala Harris
