Vice President Kamala Harris held her first presidential campaign rally in Milwaukee Tuesday, backed by top Wisconsin Democrats, after President Joe Biden exited the race Sunday.
Harris has visited the battleground state four other times this year, and eight times as vice president. But her Tuesday trip had newfound importance:
Instead of rallying for Biden's reelection, she's now campaigning as the presumptive Democratic nominee against the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.
Harris spoke at West Allis Central High School, about eight miles southwest of downtown Milwaukee. The Journal Sentinel shared live updates on Harris' trip, her campaign speech and how Wisconsin politicians responded.
More:5 takeaways from Kamala Harris' first presidential rally before packed crowd at West Allis Central High School in Wisconsin
Watch a replay of the Journal Sentinel's livestream of Kamala Harris' speech in West Allis
'Kamalanomenon!' and Beyonce: Kamala Harris rally has heavy pop culture references
There was no shortage of pop culture references — or Beyonce songs — during the rally.
At one point, Harris asked what type of country the crowd wanted to live in. Someone in the bleachers yelled, "A Kamalanomenon!"
That's a reference to the Chappell Roan song "Femininomenon," a song that young social media users have connected to Harris. Gen Z has also created viral video edits of Harris with songs from Charli XCX's album "brat" playing in the background.
The rally was packed with pop songs, especially by female artists. Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” played as the crowd filled the gym, and her song "Freedom" blasted out at the end.
— Mary Spicuzza and Hope Karnopp
Harris paints contrast with Trump: 'What kind of country do we want to live in?'
As she ended her 17-minute speech, Harris again sought to contrast her vision with what she said is Trump's.
“Ultimately, in this election, we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?" she said. “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?"
"We each have the power to answer that question," she added. "The power is with the people."
Harris touches on gun violence, abortion rights
Harris said "every person in our nation should have the freedom to live safe from the terror of gun violence. We'll finally pass red-flag laws, universal background checks and an assault weapons ban."
And she said, "We who believe in reproductive freedom will stop Donald Trump's extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do."
Harris says she's focused on building up the middle class
Harris said the campaign is about "two different visions for our nation: One where we are focused on the future. The other focused on the past."
Citing affordable health care, affordable child care, paid family leave and the freedom to join a union as beliefs, Harris said, "Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency."
Harris: 'I took on perpetrators of all kinds'
Harris sought to contrast herself with Trump, the first former president to be convicted on felony charges. She pointed to her background as California's attorney general and as district attorney in San Francisco.
“In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds," Harris said to loud chants of "Lock him up!" from the crowd. "So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump's type."
— Lawrence Andrea and Mary Spicuzza
Trump commits to at least one debate, calls Harris more 'radical' than Biden
As Harrisrallied votersin West Allis, Trump committed to at least one debate with the Democratic vice president.
The Republican former president also pledged to visit the U.S.-Mexico border as many times as “necessary” during his campaign, characterizing Harris as the country’s “border czar” and depicting her record as one of failures.
“She's the same as Biden, but much more radical. She's a radical left person, and this country doesn't want a radical left person today,” Trump said. “She's far more radical than he is.”
Read more
— Jessie Opoien
Harris acknowledges delegate count, pledges party unity
Harris told the crowd that she knows she now has secured enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination.
"I am so very honored and I will pledge to you I will spend the coming weeks continuing to unite our party so that we are ready to win in November."
Harris notes importance of Wisconsin to campaign
Harris said Wisconsin has been and will continue to be important in winning elections.
"The path through the White House goes through Wisconsin," she said. "And to win in Wisconsin, we are counting on you right here in Milwaukee. And you all helped us win in 2020. And in 2024, we will win again."
Harris promotes Sen. Tammy Baldwin's campaign
Early in her speech, Harris put in a plug for Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who's running for reelection against Republican Eric Hovde and had spoken to the crowd earlier.
"I had the privilege of serving with Tammy when I was in the United States Senate," Harris said, "and she is always fighting for the people of this state and I know that the folks that are here are going to make sure you return her to Washington, D.C., in November."
Madison school district administrator introduces Harris
Dr. Leia Esser, the executive director of student & staff supports at the Madison Metropolitan School District, introduced Harris.
"If it were not for the Biden-Harris administration, I would still be obligated to student-loan debt and unable to unconditionally serve the scholars I love," Esser said.
"But thanks to the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to public service, I had almost all of my student-loan debt forgiven, giving me the opportunity to serve the scholars I love without being burdened by debt."
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley heralds Biden's decades of service, says Harris' run is a 'shot in the arm'
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley called for acknowledging Biden’s contributions over decades in public service.
He said he saw Democrats across the country rallying around Harris’ presidential bid.
“Those policies that we’ve been working on at the federal level under the leadership of Joe Biden, they have been working,” Crowley said. “But, unfortunately, we just couldn’t get over him as the candidate. People couldn’t see past that.”
Crowley described Harris’ run as a “shot in the arm” that would help Democrats reinvigorate the party’s base and refocus the campaign on issues that draw voters to the party’s candidates.
Many young people, he said, are excited about the opportunity to elect the first woman to the presidency.
“She’s the perfect choice moving forward and making sure that we can focus on women’s rights, we can focus on issues that directly affect young people and people of color because that’s what makes us great as America. That’s what our strength is,” he said.
That Biden left the race just weeks before the convention “gives us an opportunity to rally our troops,” Crowley said.
— Alison Dirr
Gov. Tony Evers says he's 'jazzed as hell' ahead of Harris' arrival
Ahead of her arrival, top Wisconsin Democrats rallied the crowd. They included Gov. Tony Evers, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler, Attorney General Josh Kaul and Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski.
"I am jazzed as hell to be here," Evers said.
He went on to say that "we're going to deliver Wisconsin for a woman who has never forgotten where she came from or the state that helped raise her."
— Alison Dirr and Mary Spicuzza
New friends meet in line at Kamala Harris rally in West Allis
Terell Thomas, 48, of West Allis and Carolyn Gohr, 63, of Kendall, looked like longtime friends when they walked into the gym Tuesday morning.
In reality, the two women had known each other just minutes and bonded in line as they waited to enter the rally.
“We have the same mission: to support her,” Thomas said.
She said she wanted to be at the rally because of her kids and because “it’s history.”
Biden did “an amazing thing by supporting her,” Thomas said.
Both expressed a sense of urgency to be present to witness this moment, having missed rallies in past elections for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who ran for president in 2016, and former President Barack Obama.
And, they hailed Harris’ history as a prosecutor as she prepares to challenge Trump, who was convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Among the things they wanted to hear from Harris Tuesday:
“I just really want to hear how she’s going to run circles around Mr. Cheeto,” Thomas said.
“I’m just here to celebrate her,” said Gohr.
— Alison Dirr
Wisconsin officials gather at AV Flight tarmac to greet Harris
After a rainy morning in Milwaukee, the sun peaked through the clouds just as Air Force 2 landed in the city Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Tony Evers was joined by Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and his wife and children Dominique Johnson, Bella Johnson and Madison Johnson to greet the Vice President.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin exited Air Force 2 ahead of Harris and spoke with officials at the base of the plane’s steps.
Harris didn't make comments to press at the airport but spent several minutes speaking to Wisconsin officials and Johnson’s daughters.
— Tamia Fowlkes
'Kamala' signs and cheers at beginning of rally
Speakers have begun the rally at West Allis Central High School, including Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler, state Superintendent Jill Underly and Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski.
The gymnasium's floor and bleachers are packed with supporters waving dark blue-and-white signs with "KAMALA" in simple text. At one point during Wikler's speech, crowds shouted "Kam-a-la!"
Godlewski focused on Trump's involvement in Foxconn and taking credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, prompting the most boos from the crowd.
— Hope Karnopp
Daughter brings father to Harris rally for his birthday
Dana Thome’s phone rang immediately when Biden endorsed Harris to run in his stead.
On the other end was her father, Dean Thome, who was so excited, he was standing up.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Dean Thome said.
On Tuesday, he said, he wanted to be part of welcoming Harris and said it’s important that people vote.
So Dana Thome, 55, of Milwaukee brought her father to Tuesday’s rally as part of his 90th birthday present. She held her father’s hand as she said he has always been one to take a stand, dating to his time as a high school teacher.
"I love how excited he is and how much optimism he has,” she said when asked what it meant to be at the rally together.
— Alison Dirr
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson offers comments on Harris ahead of arrival
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson arrived at the AVFlight in Milwaukee around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday.
Ahead of heading to the tarmac to greet Harris, Johnson spoke to reporters about the importance of the vice president’s visit to Milwaukee as she kicks off her presidential campaign.
With Harris at the top of the ticket, he said, the Democratic Party can encourage and re-engage young people and women leading into November.
“She has been the administration’s and the campaign’s number one when it comes to talking about abortion rights and some of Donald Trump’s agenda like Project 2025,” Johnson said.
“I think there is no better person to prosecute the case against Donald Trump.”
— Tamia Fowlkes
Wisconsin Democrats welcome Kamala Harris, kick off ‘104-day sprint’ to Election Day
For Wisconsin Democrats racing toward Election Day, it’s a sprint, not a marathon.
“Wisconsin Democrats are thrilled to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to Milwaukee for the first stop of her campaign, kicking off our 104-day sprint to victory in November,” said Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
In his statement, Wikler noted the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee last week, saying it highlighted the “dark and divisive vision” Trump and vice presidential candidate JD Vance have for the country.
— Mary Spicuzza
Kamala Harris to speak at West Allis Central High School
Around 10 a.m. Tuesday, supporters, staff and members of the press began filing into the gym of West Allis Central High School, where Harris will speak.
Rally attendees are standing on the gym floor and in the bleachers. The American and Wisconsin flags are standing near the podium, but no signs for Harris' days-old campaign were seen yet in the gym.
— Hope Karnopp
Biden's exit, Harris' rise scrambles race in Wisconsin
Harris’ apparent ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket has scrambled the playbook, especially in Wisconsin.
Democrats in the battleground state have largely coalesced around Harris as Republicans grapple with the idea they will not face Biden on the ballot in November. And while the last 48 hours have upended much of the previous two years, exactly what that means will play out in the coming months.
“There’s nothing in modern history that I can think of where you have a situation like this,” said Mark Graul, a longtime Republican strategist in Wisconsin. “It’s just entirely unprecedented.”
Read more
— Lawrence Andrea and Jessie Opoien
Wisconsin Republicans link Harris to Biden ahead of VP's visit
Democrats’ 11th-hour presidential ticket change has forced Republicans to wrestle with the idea they will not face Biden on the ballot this November.
But Wisconsin Republicans ahead of Harris’ visit Tuesday sought to downplay that pivot, suggesting Harris is inextricably linked to the president.
“Vice President Harris is Joe Biden, the sequel,” said Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming, using a phrase he’s frequently repeated over the last two days.
Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde, who has spent the majority of his campaign trying to tie Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin to Biden, similarly suggested Biden and Harris are one and the same. Harris “owns the Biden record,” Hovde said, calling the vice president “one of the most extreme liberals.”
“Senator Baldwin has to own what the Biden and Harris record has done,” Hovde said. “As far as I’m concerned — Biden, Baldwin and Harris, and now Harris, Baldwin and Biden — it’s going to be the same thing.”
Asked whether the party saw Harris as more difficult to defeat than Biden in Wisconsin, Schimming said the outlook was “likely the same, perhaps for different reasons,” saying Harris owns Biden’s record but also has her own Senate record, which Republicans cast as left-wing.
“We’ll know more about her as we go through the coming weeks and months,” Schimming said, adding at another point, “There’s issue after issue after issue where Kamala Harris is not in sync with the people of Wisconsin or the people of America.”
Still, the Wisconsin Republicans on Tuesday appeared to push back on Biden’s move to drop out. They’ve noted Biden, not Harris, was selected as the party nominee by voters in state primaries. And they painted the weekend’s events as “rigged” and “a coup within the Democratic Party.”
“The elites and the insiders of the Democratic Party have chosen Vice President Harris to be the new figurehead,” U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil said. “But the policies remain the same.”
— Lawrence Andrea
Who will be Kamala Harris' vice president? Leading candidates for her running mate
Harris'presidential campaignhas requested vetting materials from at least seven Democrats under consideration to be her vice presidential running mate, USA TODAY has learned from a source familiar with the process.
Those being vetted for the job include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz; and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The Harris campaign has also requested vetting materials from one Democrat whose name has received much less speculation as a vice-presidential contender: Cedric Richmond, a former congressman from Louisiana who served as a top aide in the Biden White House and on his campaign.
Read more
— USA TODAY
How many times has Kamala Harris visited Wisconsin, and where?
Harris' visit Tuesday will be the fifth time she's campaigned in Wisconsin in 2024. It'll be her ninth time in Wisconsin since becoming vice president.
Harris' last stop in Wisconsin was in May, when she visited Discovery World in Milwaukee to talk about disparities for Black homeowners and businessowners. She went to La Crosse in April, Madison in March and Waukesha County in January.
What do the latest polls show about Kamala Harris in Wisconsin?
The Marquette University Law School, considered one of the highest-quality polls in the country, hasn't yet surveyed Wisconsin voters on a matchup between Harris and former President Donald Trump. The poll also hasn't tracked Harris' favorability ratings since 2022.
Marquette poll director Charles Franklin plans to begin a new survey of voters in Wisconsin and throughout the nation Wednesday, asking voters about a Harris-Trump matchup, among other topics. The results of that survey will be closely watched for indications of how Harris could perform against Trump in Wisconsin, a key swing state.
More:Voters, some hearing for the first time, discuss Biden stepping down, Harris stepping up
Will Wisconsin's DNC delegates vote for Harris?
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler told reporters that all but six ofWisconsin's 95 DNC delegateshad pledged their support to Harris as of mid-afternoon Monday.
He said the party had either not been in contact with the remaining delegates or those who had not yet pledged were "thinking through the timeline to make a public decision."
The state party endorsed Harris as Wikler proclaimed that the "level of unity and energy is through the roof" with Democrats.
Top Democratic officials in the state have endorsed Harris, including Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore, and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
More:What Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race means for Wisconsin's DNC delegates
