Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota arrived in Arizona to campaign and give a speech ahead of the first 2024 presidential debate, which was held the same evening.
Walz's visit to Arizona on Sept. 10 marks the continuation of his tour of the Sun Belt and his first travel to the region since his nomination as the vice presidential candidate. During this stop, Walz spoke to young voters and hosted a gathering to give remarks in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and their potential administration together.
Walz landed at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at noon, where he was met by numerous Arizona politicians.
From there, Walz stopped at Snakes & Lattes, a café in Tempe where he spoke to ASU students about young voters and his campaign.
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Later that day in Mesa, a crowd of around 550 people gathered to meet Walz and listen to his speech before the debate started. Voters at the convention center said they were excited to hear from a candidate who supported their political views.
"They will continue what Joe Biden has done so successfully over the years," said Robert Branscomb, a vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. "Bring down inflation, decrease unemployment, get our economy running well and that's what we need here in Arizona. We need to ensure that we still can progress."
Rep. Deborah Nardozzi from Arizona District 8 said the same about Walz's relevance to Arizona.
"Being in District 8, I have an indigenous population, I have ASU, I have Phoenix, I have Scottsdale, I have Mesa," she said. "I have a lot of varied constituents, and I think Tim speaks to that. Even though he's from a rural community, he understands kind of the average human voter."
About 10 minutes before the debate started in Pennsylvania, Walz spoke. He covered topics such as gun control, education, the economy and healthcare, and emphasized that Harris was bringing "joy" and "optimism" back to the country, especially for the average resident.
"I think a lot of it has to do with the idea that politics doesn't affect us," Nardozzi said. "But it does. Everything you do politics affects."
When Walz discussed how Harris would perform in the debate, he said that she would bring "opportunity" to the middle class.
"You're going to see somebody lay out an agenda for the middle class," Walz said. "Opportunity to start businesses, opportunity to own a home, opportunity to good education, opportunity to get health care and make your own decisions."
Walz also spent much of his speech talking about gun control laws.
"I know guns," said Walz. "I'm a veteran. and I'm a hunter, but I will not allow them to make this about the Second Amendment when our first responsibility is to the safety of our children."
Visitors at the Mesa Conference Center also felt strongly about gun control in schools, particularly in light of the Apalachee High School shooting. Patricia Maisch, a member of the Moms Demand Action organization, became an advocate for gun safety in America after surviving the 2011 Tucson shooting, or what she called "the Gabby Giffords shooting." She said Walz's advocacy for gun control is vital.
"I know he is with us," she said. "I know Kamala is with us, and we can stop gun violence to some extent."
Maisch said that it's essential for everybody, especially younger generations, to highlight the importance of this election.
"I'm 75 years old, so I'll be okay," said Maisch. "But we're doing it for you young people."
Minutes before the presidential debate began, Walz ended his speech on an optimistic note.
"We have got 56 days to make a difference for generations in this country," he said.
Edited by George Headley, Alysa Horton and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at pkfung@asu.edu.
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Pippa is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication with minors in political science and German. This is her second semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Blaze Radio and the Los Alamos National Lab.
