As voters cast their early ballots, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz visited Phoenix on Saturday to speak at a Harris-Walz campaign event at Trevor G. Browne High School.
Walz, welcomed by live music from the high school marching band, took to the stage and encouraged the crowd to do "every damn thing" they could until Election Day.
"It is now time for the final push here — tie game, fourth quarter, clock’s ticking," Walz said. "But here’s the good news: we got the better team (and) we got a better quarterback in Kamala Harris."
Before Walz started his career in politics in 2006, he taught social studies at Mankato West High School and coached the school's football team.
Nathaniel Helpern, a freshman studying music, said Walz's campaigning in a school gym felt fitting due to his former coaching career.
"This whole environment feels American," Helpern said.
The event was hosted in the high school's south gym. Sen. Mark Kelly, former Rep. Gabby Giffords and Ana Navarro, a Nicaraguan-American political strategist and commentator also spoke at the rally.
Despite being a staunch Republican previously, Navarro said she voted for Hillary Clinton, the Democrat candidate in 2016, and now Vice President Harris.
"It was hard, but I also have to tell you: voting against Donald Trump felt good," Navarro said.
Navarro said she voted for Clinton because she was living in Florida, a swing state at the time.
"When you are from a swing state, you have got the responsibility to vote and vote your conscience," Navarro said. "You can’t leave it blank."
Walz spoke on gun violence and said he specifically wanted to bring up the issue while in a high school.
Addressing teachers and parents, Walz said that people deserve the freedom to send their children to school without the worry of them "being shot dead."
Harris announced that she and Walz are gun owners during the presidential debate against former President Donald Trump in September.
"I am a veteran, I am a gun owner, I am a hunter," Walz said. "You can protect the second amendment … and protect our children."
Walz also brought up the issue of abortion rights, where he spoke to the men in the crowd and told them to think about the women in their lives.
"Those women that you are thinking about right now, their lives are literally on the line," Walz said.
Walz said he and his wife used fertility treatment to have his daughter, Hope Walz.
"I'll be damned if I'll let Donald Trump deny anyone in this country the opportunity to have the family that they want," he said.
Daniela Perez, a junior studying nursing at Phoenix College, said she missed Walz when he came to Phoenix earlier in the campaign and was glad she got the chance to see him now.
Perez said it was good to see the campaign give attention to West Phoenix because Trevor G. Browne High School, the event's venue, was her alma mater.
"I haven’t felt like this in a while," Perez said. "It just feels really good to see people voting."
Jayla Perkins, a senior studying political science, said that she was impressed with Walz’s approach to politics and she could tell he had the people’s "best interests at heart."
"He’s the perfect grassroots type of candidate," Perkins said. "It’s amazing that he was able to go from such humble beginnings as a high school coach and teacher to this."
Perkins said she was also pleased with the effort put into campaigning in Arizona by the Harris-Walz ticket during the last few weeks of the presidential race.
"This is not an easy state to win," Perkins said. "You got to put your all into this to be able to make it happen, and that’s what they’re doing."
Edited by George Headley, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at ehprest1@asu.edu and follow @ellis_reports on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Ellis is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is her first semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Arizona PBS and Blaze Radio.
