In front of a packed and electric crowd at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena, the 2024 Democratic Ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wowed the over 15,000 enthusiastic supporters that braved over 100-degree Arizona weather to cheer them on to victory over Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in Arizona and America.
Arizona, and its 11 electoral votes, is one of seven (nine if Florida and Ohio are thrown into the mix) battleground states the Harris/Walz ticket hopes to prevail in this November.
The Biden/Harris ticket took Arizona in 2020 with over 10,000 votes.
The Harris/Walz team is hoping to repeat the electoral magic.
Right now the Cook Political Report, with the Harris surge since taking the top of the ticket after the withdrawal of President Joe Biden on July 21, 2024, has rated Arizona a toss-up.
The Harris for President Campaign has catapulted to political dominance over the last three weeks thanks to several factors including the explosion of grassroots enthusiasm for the Vice President, the implosion and unappealing behavior in recent weeks of the Trump/Vance ticket, the selection of popular Governor Walz, and the joining of mainstream Republicans (that had begun with President Biden,) disenchanted with what their party has become due to the MAGA-Project 2025 Movement, to the team.
The themes conveyed universally by all the speakers this evening focused on unity among all Americans, freedom and protecting individuals civil liberties, preserving Democracy and the American Ideal, and basing their future administration “on the promise of America” in building toward a better tomorrow for the people of Arizona and across the country where everyone has a chance to succeed.
Before the Vice President and Governor spoke, several of Arizona’s leading political figures, both Democrat and Republican, told the crowd why they felt the Harris/Walz ticket was the best one to move Arizona and the country forward while also lifting Arizonans and Americans up.
Gila River Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis got the crowd roaring when he started the ceremonies by calling Kamala Harris and Tim Walz “The future President and Vice President of the United States…They represent a brighter future for Arizona, for Indian country, and a brighter future for our country…We look toward the future because we’re not going back to a time when our women are not protected…to a time where every one of us could not participate in a fair Democracy.”
Tempe, Mesa, and Phoenix’s Mayors spoke next.
Tempe Mayor Corey Woods energized the crowd by discussing Project 2025, stating:
“Now since we’re all family here you all heard about this Project 2025, right? So we all know that it’s going to be front and center on the ballot this coming November. So and what because Donald Trump is on the ballot this coming November. And do not be fooled. This is his agenda written by his close allies for him to impose on our country. He’s waiting for his own personal revenge and retribution.“
“Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris follows through on her work and she continues to deliver on behalf of the people.”
Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican who has endorsed the Harris-Walz Ticket, the Biden/Harris Administration, Ruben Gallego, and Katie Hobbs, was greeted warmly by the crowd and with a sustained ovation and applause.
He said “he does not recognize his party” and to those, like him, “You don’t owe a thing to that damned party…a party that is bent on taking us backward…and a candidate that is morally and ethically bankrupt…In the spirit of the late great Senator John McCain, please please put country over party and stop Donald Trump…That is why I am standing with Kamala Harris and Governor Walz…both of them are well prepared to tackle the issues Arizonans care about…and solve issues (like the border) that Trump loves to exploit…”
As Mayor Giles was about to speak, I interviewed Republican and former Scottsdale Mayor Sam Campana and asked her why, based on today being the anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act, she supported the Harris/Walz ticket.
“They are going to build upon the foundation that that President Biden built with the CHIPS and Science Act and we are all going to benefit…We’re all beneficiaries of the Biden Administration. I’m positive they (Harris/Walz) will” pick up where the Biden/Harris Administration leaves off.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego “I am so happy to be here with my Arizona Democrats and pretty incredible Republicans…Based on the energy in this arena, Donald Trump is feeling the heat…We turned this state blue four years ago and you better believe we’re going to try again. That’s because in Arizona we know what is at stake and we are not going back.” The crowd chanted “We are not going back” after hearing that from the Phoenix Mayor.
Saying that the Harris/Walz Administration would build on the Biden/Harris Administration to be the most pro-worker in history, the Mayor said the Democratic ticket would bring joy and dignity to the American People.
Representative Greg Stanton welcomed the Independents and McCain Republicans “that are sick and tired of the election denialism and divisiveness” who were in the crowd and said, “We are proud to earn your support.” He called Vice President Harris “the real deal.” He also said Governor Walz is “a great guy and a long-time teacher…We love our teachers…He knows how to work across the aisle and get things done.”
“Kamala Harris is running for a future where everyone has an opportunity to get ahead.”
Calling Arizona “the most important battleground state in the country,” Stanton reminded everyone that Harris needs a Democratic Congress to get things done and called for, to thunderous applause, supporting Ruben Gallego in his Senate bid. He also gave shout-outs to House Candidates Kirsten Engel, Jonathan Nez, and Dr. Amish Shah. Victories there, according to Stanton, would help make “Hakeem Jeffries the next Speaker of the House.”
He closed by saying “We’ve won tough battles before and we’re going to do it again.”
After an intermission, Representative and Arizona Democratic Senate Nominee Ruben Gallego wowed the crowd, saying:
“We have 88 days until election day and this enthusiasm to fight for a better Arizona is what we need…Together in 88 days, we can bring that better Arizona forward…”
On Governor Walz and veterans, “he always put us first.”
On Vice President Harris, “Kamala Harris knows how to win and fight for us.“
On the stakes in this election, “We are at a crossroads. We need to be cutting costs for our families. We need to protect abortion rights and protect our Democracy.”
On crisscrossing the state during his Senate Campaign, “The one thing I discovered we have so much in common. We want to build a better Arizona for our families and our communities. That is what this election is about…”
Calling to action for the next 88 days to thunderous applause, “Let’s defeat Kari Lake. Let’s defeat Donald Trump. Let’s fight for a better future in Arizona…Let’s go win. Let’s go Arizona.”
Gabby Giffords and Senator Mark Kelly entered to thunderous applause and chants of “Gabby, Gabby, Gabby.”
Senator Kelly, one of the finalists for the Vice Presidential spot, said “Gabby and I are so excited to be with all of you today and welcome our next President and President…”
Giffords, recounting her experiences after an assassination attempt in 2011, discussed how she is “fighting to make the country safer…We are living in challenging times. We’re up for the challenge…Our world is possible…We can’t do it alone. Let’s move ahead together.”
Kelly continued:
“We’ve done a whole lot of winning the last couple of years. We’re going to keep winning with Kamala Harris and Governor Walz. A lot is at stake. Whether our kids have the same rights as we do. Whether our economy works for everybody or just billionaires. Whether our alliances are built or shredded.”
Calling Harris the person “we need to take us into the future… she is the one to protect women and reduce gun violence.”
On Walz, Kelly said, “He served honorably in uniform for decades. Fighting for service members…for veterans…for military families. That is something I don’t expect Donald Trump would understand.” To a chorus of boos, Kelly repeated Trump calling veterans “suckers and losers.”
When he asked the crowd how they could help the Harris/Walz ticket win, they responded in unison “VOTE!”
An astronaut, Kelly said “This isn’t rocket science…it takes a team of people working together to accomplish a mission…to win this election…we need an army…We need all of you to become part of an army. An unstoppable army that can get this team across the trenches and across the finish line. Gaby and I are ready to join this army. Are you?” The crowd replied “YES!”
Entering with John Mellencamp’s song “I Was Born in a Small Town” playing in the background, “ Governor Walz entered and brought laughter to the 15,000-person crowd when he commented, “No really cares about crowd size.”
Calling Gabby Giffords and Senator Mark Kelly “national treasures,” he also said we get a “twofer with Ruben Gallego and, (about Kari Lake) we know who is never going to be a United States Senator.”
To chants of “USA, USA, USA,” Walz said, “You came here for one reason. To save our Democracy” and “You know what’s at the end of this journey. Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States.”
He said that Harris “Would put Middle America first…willing to reach across the aisle no matter what just to improve people’s lives.”
The crowd roared its approval when he talked about his, his family, and their spouse’s careers as educators.
Saying he was proud of his work on the Veterans and Agriculture committees that helped people and as Governor, he sought “The common good, the idea about something bigger than ourselves. This idea of kindness, generosity, and compassion.”
The crowd erupted when he said, “This might be the largest political gathering in Arizona.”
He also attacked Donald Trump and what his MAGA movement would mean to America if he won again. Among his comments were:
“Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about service. It’s a little hard when you only care about serving yourself.”
“Thanks to Donald Trump freezing during COVID, many of our neighbors died and he drove the economy into a ditch.”
When the crowd chanted “Lock him up,” Walz said, “Better yet, beat the hell out of him at the ballot box.”
On Trump and MAGA’s obsession with monitoring what Americans do, Walz repeated the golden rule on privacy “Mind your own business. We don’t need you telling me what books you can read…Sure as hell don’t need you telling us what to do with my family.”
On MAGA’s opposition to IVF, the crowd shouted “HOPE, HOPE, HOPE,” in response to his telling about him and his wife using IVF to conceive their daughter who they named Hope.
On supporting sensible gun safety laws, Walz said children should have the “Freedom to go to school without having to fear getting shot to death.”
On Trump’s election denialism and history of inciting violence on January 6, the Governor said, “We settle our political differences not through violence but through voting.”
In response to that, the over 15,000-person crowd chanted “VOTE, VOTE, VOTE.”
In closing, Walz called the crowd to action saying:
“Let’s just win big people…We have 87 days to decide the direction of our country…My mantra is we’ll sleep when we’re dead…You know what Donald Trump’s plans are…Don’t believe him when he plays dumb about Project 2025…They’ll take away our freedoms…It is going to be much much worse. I know I’m preaching to the choir. But practice is over. It’s time to sing.”
On Trump and Vance, “these guys come up with the weirdest ideas…That’s a reality that not going to happen because of the people in this building. This is about the future…We are not afraid of the future…We shape the future…She (Kamala Harris) believes in the promise of America.”
Introducing her as the next President of the United States, Vice President Harris entered to Beyonce’s “Freedom” being played in the background.
Saying “We are going to do this,” the Vice President paid tribute to the leadership and public service of VP finalist Kelly and his wife, Gabby Giffords.”
The crowd shouted “JOE, JOE, JOE,” when Harris thanked President Biden for “what he has done and what he is yet to do.”
The crowd shouted “USA, USA, USA” after Harris was interrupted in her praise of Governor Walz when protestors for the Palestinian people interrupted the event.
Unlike an earlier response to similar protestors two days ago in Detroit, Harris took a different approach this time, saying:
“We are all in here together because we love our country and fight for our Democracy which includes respecting our voices. I have been clear. Now is the time to get a cease-fire…The President and I are working around the clock to get a deal done. I respect your voices but I’m here to discuss this race in 2024.”
Saying “It’s good to be back in Arizona,” “We can not lose sight of the important fact. We are running as the underdog and we have a lot of hard work to do. And hard work is good work and we will do it with joy.”
Like Walz before her, the Vice President repeated some of her greatest hits from previous stump speeches like “Hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type. I’ve been dealing with people like him my entire career...I will put my record up against his any day.”
When the crowd repeated the lock him up chant, she said “The courts will deal with that. We have to beat him in November.”
“Our campaign is about two different visions for the country…Theirs is about the past. We, Arizona, fight for the future...”
Harris did speak out her support for tribal nations saying, “I will always honor tribal sovereignty and respect tribal self-determination.”
Repeating that she wanted an America where people would “Not just to get by but to get ahead,” she said “I will always put, unlike Donald Trump, the middle and working class first…When the middle class is strong, America is strong.”
“Donald Trump intends to take us backward. We’re not going back.” The crowd chanted the slogan of the campaign after she said that.
She also put forth several policy proposals a Harris/Walz Administration would pursue in helping the American Consumer reduce financial stress, including:
- Paid family leave.
- Expansion of the prescription drug benefit.
- Affordable housing opportunities.
- Bringing down prices by going after practitioners of corporate greed and big pharma.
The Vice President also drove home the impact of Project 2025 should the Trumpists prevail, repeating “I can’t believe they put that in writing.”
Calling the contents of Project 2025 “a weakening of the Middle Class,” Harris reminded the audience that its contents (tax cuts for the rich, cutting Social Security and Medicare, repealing the ACA) would be a return to the failed policies of the past on steroids.
With Arizona experiencing some of the worst bouts of extreme heat in the country over the last several years, the Vice President also warned the audience that Project 2025 would repeal all the Biden/Harris measures to combat climate change because its writers and Donald Trump think climate change “is a hoax.”
With the crowd chanting, “WE WILL WIN,” she said “Part of why we will win is we remember and we are smart and we are not going to fall for the gaslighting. America has tried those failing policies before and we’re not going back.”
Harris also attacked Trump on immigration, commenting “We know it is broken and we know what is needed to fix it: comprehensive immigration reform with border security and pathway to citizenship. He (Trump) talks about border security but doesn’t walk the walk.”
She said she would sign the bipartisan Border security bill Trump told Republicans to tank if it makes it to her desk in the Oval Office.
Ms. Harris then discussed the MAGA assault on freedoms that have been “hard fought” for like the freedom to vote, to love, and reproductive freedom, saying again the “baton is now in our hands” to continue the struggle to preserve, protect, and expand freedom.
Reminding the crowd that it was Donald Trump who killed Roe v Wade with his three Supreme Court picks and how the nation is now divided between states with an invasive abortion ban and those that do not have one, Harris also brought up how Trump said at a press conference on August 8, 2024, that he, if re-elected, would adopt the Project 2025 proposal to restrict access to the abortion pill.
Harris vowed not to let that “happen because we trust women” and promised she would sign legislation restoring Roe v Wade.
On Donald Trump, now armed with a Supreme Court ruling that could give him official immunity for any acts he commits in office, wanting to be a dictator on day one with designs on terminating the Constitution, the Vice President said “The stakes are even higher” in this election and “A person who wants to terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again stand behind the Seal of the American President.”
Telling the crowd that “We are here because we love our country” and this is the fight to “preserve the promise of America,” Harris took pride in the fact that she, a child of immigrants from Oakland who worked at Mcdonald’s to help support herself and Walz, who grew up working on a farm in Nebraska, epitomizes the American Dream and the promise of America, declaring “Only in America is it possible to make it all the way to the White House.”
The Vice President closed with an optimistic note and call to action, saying:
“We’re running this campaign on behalf of All Americans from Red states to Blue States From the heartland to the coasts. And when we are elected, we will govern on behalf of all Americans… Each one of us faces the question. That question is what kind of country do we want to live in? Do we want to live in a country of chaos fear and hate? Freedom compassion and Democracy… Each one of us in a Democracy… has the power to answer that question. Because we are the people. We need you to use your power in the next 88 days. We need you to use that power. We need you to knock on some doors. We need you to register folks to vote. We need you to mobilize and organize. To make your voices heard. So Arizona, are you ready to make your voices heard? Do we believe in Freedom do we believe in opportunity? Do we believe in the promise of America? Are we ready to fight for it? When we fight we win.“
After the rally, a couple of attendees voiced their enthusiasm for what they saw.
A young trans child rated the Harris speech as ten out of ten.
Her mother said “We’re here fighting for our family and for all trans kids out there and It’s been an inspiring time. It’s like a celebration here today and for her to see that is very important to us.”
Another attendee, an elderly lady said the experience was “exciting and invigorating” and she had not felt that way about politics “in a long time.”
Here are pictures of Vice President Harris and Governor Walz talking to rally attendees after the event.
After the event, the Vice President and Governor, along with the Gallegos visited a local Mexican restaurant.
Also, check out this post from the Arizona Branch of the Harris/Walz Campaign. They are enjoying a very well-deserved pat on the back after helping to put together a very successful rally.
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I was always a supporter of Kamala Harris when she was running for US President back in 2020. She is an Asian Indian and Black American and was a prosecutor & Attorney General of California/US Senator, and now VP for almost 4 years. Arizona is a purple state and can deliver for the Harris/Walz ticket. Governor Walz is the right running mate for VP. Thanks for this report of the recent rally in Glendale. Onwards to November 5, 2024.
Great article, Dave! Team Harris/Walz all the way!!!