VP nominee Tim Walz tells Mecklenburg Democrats to appeal to ‘folks who aren’t quite sure’
Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday fired up campaign canvassers in Matthews to do their part to boost enthusiasm in a county that could make a big difference with a small improvement.
Around 200 local canvassers decked out in Harris-Walz T-shirts and the campaign’s signature camo hats gathered at the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party headquarters in Matthews for the event. The visit marked Walz’s fifth to North Carolina since he joined the Democratic ticket. Walz urged volunteers to appeal to undecided voters, as new data show unaffiliated voters are the largest voting group in Mecklenburg County.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles was also in attendance.
“Fired up!” attendees chanted, followed by a refrain of, “Ready to go!”
The event began with a speech from Tamala Harris, a local, aptly-named volunteer.
“When I come across people who are undecided or may not vote, I tell them about the importance of voting and how it effects them ... I tell them about the shoulders we stand on because people died for our right to vote,” she said to cheers from the crowd. “We just have 6 days until we’re able to say ‘Madam President.’”
Walz took the stage to “Small Town” by John Mellencamp, as attendees chanted “Coach! Coach! Coach!”
During his remarks, Walz encouraged organizers to tell North Carolinians to make a plan to vote early for Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president.
“We’re inside 150 hours until we get to do this thing,” he said. “When do you get the chance over 150 hours to change the trajectory of not just the next four years but the next 140 years?”
He contrasted Harris’ speech in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday with Donald Trump’s controversial rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City Sunday. Trump’s rally drew online outrage after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made several racist jokes at the event, including calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
Walz argued he and Harris offer a different way forward.
“They want to denigrate our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and across the board,” he said. “I’m going to stand with joyful people over hate … We see those less fortunate not as punchlines for jokes but as our neighbors.”
Walz said it’s important to “get those folks who aren’t quite sure.”
“Get those folks who say ‘I’m not into politics.’ That’s too damn bad, politics is into you!” he said. “I know I’m preaching to the choir, but it’s time for the choir to sing.”
Mecklenburg County, the state’s second largest in population, has historically underperformed state averages for voter turnout. That’s why Democrats are focusing their attention on bringing out more left-leaning voters. Just a few more Democratic votes in all of Mecklenburg’s nearly 200 precincts in 2020, for example, could have secured a win for Democrat Cheri Beasley in the N.C. Supreme Court chief justice election.
Walz exited to cheers after speaking for around six minutes before heading to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where he and his staff departed for Greensboro. There, he kicked off another canvassing effort late Wednesday before departing for Asheville.
In Asheville, he’s expected to make an appearance at The Orange Peel, a downtown concert venue, as part of an “Asheville Community Concert.”
Election Day is Nov. 5. Early voting is underway and ends Nov. 2.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 4:42 PM.
