Tim Walz will officially accept the nomination to be Kamala Harris’s White House running mate as he presses a charm offensive that has made him a darling of the Democratic National Convention.
The relatively unknown Minnesota governor brings an earthy, Midwestern vibe to Ms Harris’s surging campaign against Donald Trump that is expected to be central to his speech at Chicago’s United Center.
Taking the stage ahead of Ms Harris’s big night tomorrow, former teacher and National Guard soldier Mr Walz will outline his life story while underlining the ticket’s focus on safeguarding Americans’ freedoms and building for the future, campaign officials said.
“Governor Walz has always been somebody who’s fought for the vulnerable, who’s fought for those in need, who’s taken on special interests for the benefit of the people that he represents,” Harris-Walz communications director Michael Tyler told reporters.
“And so the American people will have an opportunity to see that in prime time tonight, many for the very first time, we’re excited about it.”
Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz will introduce her husband for the biggest speech of his political career, with Grammy and Oscar-winning musician John Legend providing the soundtrack with a tribute to one of the state’s most iconic artists, Prince.
Another highlight of the undercard will be former president Bill Clinton, who was being nominated for the second time when Chicago last hosted the Democratic convention, in 1996.
Mr Walz will tee up Ms Harris’s Thursday speech and the climax of a convention that has defied predictions of disunity or even chaos in the wake of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his reelection bid on 21 July.
On Tuesday, it was Democratic superstars Michelle and former president Barack Obama who spoke, following up on Biden’s emotional speech Monday, where he passed the torch to his vice president.
The convention has seen intense enthusiasm, buoyed by Mr Walz’s appearances at sideline events, where he has been mobbed by supporters seeking selfies and chanting, “Tim! Tim! Tim!”
He has made a name for himself as an able communicator and is credited with coming up with one of the sharpest attack lines on Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance, whom he labeled “weird.”
As a folksy, white Midwesterner, Mr Walz balances Ms Harris’s California background and barrier-breaking status as the first Black woman nominee.
The 60-year-old will speak of his upbringing in small-town Nebraska, where he worked on the family farm, and describe his military service, his experiences as a teacher and his record in politics.
Battle of the rallies
The chemistry between 59-year-old Ms Harris and Mr Walz and the noisy energy generated at their rallies is helping to fuel Democratic hopes that they can defeat Mr Trump, 78, in November.
Polls show the race remains close, but Mr Harris is moving slightly ahead – a remarkable turn of events, given that only a month ago Mr Trump seemed to be gaining a steadily tightening grip over Joe Biden.
Exhibit number one in that shift has been Ms Harris’s ability to pack arenas in a way that for years Trump had touted as evidence of his seemingly unique political strength.
In a dramatic gesture, Harris and Walz held a mass rally on Tuesday in Milwaukee at the same time as the convention crowd jammed into the Chicago venue.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump gathered supporters in North Carolina for his first outdoor rally since an attempt on his life last month that saw him lightly wounded and a bystander killed. Security was especially tight, with a bulletproof glass screen erected around the podium.
Republicans have ramped up attacks on Mr Walz to paint him as an extreme leftist, much as Mr Trump routinely brands Ms Harris a “communist” and “marxist”.
But Sabrina Karim, associate professor in the department of government at Cornell University, said Mr Walz was successfully balancing the Ms Harris ticket.
“His form of masculinity stands in contrast to Donald Trump, and provides some voters, particularly white male voters, an alternative way to be masculine that could be appealing.”