CHICAGO – The Democratic National Convention heads into its third day on Wednesday.
After receiving the blessing of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the focus on the second to last day of the DNC shifts to Kamala Harris' vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The former school teacher and football coach is expected to accept the Democratic nomination as the party makes the case that Americans' fundamental freedoms are at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
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Former President Bill Clinton, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are also expected to address the convention.
Here’s what to watch on the third day:
Walz's big moment
After a tumultuous few weeks, where Harris' running mate went from little-known Midwest governor to top of the Democratic ticket, Walz is expected to get his own moment in the spotlight Wednesday when Democrats officially nominate the 60-year-old as their vice presidential candidate.
Walz wasn’t widely known outside of Minnesota before Harris chose him to join her on the Democratic presidential ticket. But they clicked when the vice president interviewed him, and she was impressed by his record as a governor and congressman — and the splash he made on TV.
He will get a chance to show the American public that in primetime on Wednesday.
‘A fight for our freedoms’
According to convention organizers, the theme for Wednesday’s events is “A fight for our freedoms,” a message that has become the centerpiece of Harris' campaign as the Democrat has sought to paint a second Trump presidency as a threat to Americans' ability to make choices about their own lives.
The focus, according to organizers, will be highlighting Walz as a “champion for America’s working families and a staunch defender of those same fundamental freedoms.” And on the other side, Democrats said they will focus on Trump's efforts to “strip our rights away” when he was president and what he could do if he gets another four years.
Reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ issues and racial equity are expected to be some of the policy areas that Democrats are trying to distinguish themselves on with Republicans.
Show strength of bench
The Harris campaign is relying on several surrogates to make its case to voters — and Wednesday's speakers play into that strategy with a mix of big names and rising stars in the party.
Alex Hornbrook, the convention's executive director, said the lineup will include Clinton, Pelosi and Buttigieg. But there will also be what he described as “everyday Americans whose freedoms and livelihoods hinge on this election.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a finalist to be Harris’ running mate, will address the convention. Both are seen as ascendant in Democratic politics.
Other speakers slated for the evening include: House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Olivia Troye, who worked in the Trump administration as an aide to then-Vice President Mike Pence, will also speak about why she is supporting Harris.