Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz join hands with Nevada Democratic politicians at the end of a campaign rally at the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.
Published Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 | 7:42 p.m.
Updated Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024 | 1:04 a.m.
Vice President Kamala Harris entered the Thomas & Mack Center packed with supporters Saturday night and briefly paused to take in the scene.
She was greeted by enthusiastic support — a common theme over the past three weeks since President Joe Biden dropped his presidential bid, paving the way for Harris to lead the Democratic ticket in November.
“We know this will be a tight race until the very end,” said Harris, who was making her seventh appearance in swing state Nevada this year. “We have some hard work ahead of us. But we like hard work. Hard work is good work. And with your help, this November, we will win.”
She was joined by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her newly minted November running mate. They’ve stopped in various swing states this week — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona — since Walz received the nod Tuesday, and have been delivering a similar message: Never go back.
“One, ours, is focused on the future. The other, focused on the past,” Harris told the crowd.
She later added, “Nevada, ours is a fight for the future and it is a fight for freedom. The freedom to vote, freedom to be safe from gun violence, freedom to love who you love openly, freedom for a woman to make decisions about her body are under assault across the country.”
The attackers? Her presidential opponent — former President Donald Trump and running mate U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
“This campaign is not just about us versus Donald Trump,” she said. “It’s about two different visions for our nation.”
Harris said she is fighting for a future with affordable health care, child care, paid leave, and an economy where every American can own a home, start a business and build wealth.
“We believe in a future where we lower the cost of living for America’s families, so they have a chance, not just to get by, but to get ahead,” she said.
Trump, on the other hand, intends to cut the Affordable Care Act that has helped millions obtain medical coverage, she said. She added that he wants to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.
He has additional plans to cut Social Security and Medicare, and would surrender the fight against the climate crisis, she said.
“I don’t have to tell Nevada because you know the climate crisis is real,” Harris said, referencing the record-high temperatures Las Vegas has experienced this summer.
Walz, a military veteran who was an educator and high school football coach before getting into public service, is being billed as a candidate residents can relate to. He’s just like us, Harris has said.
He said students encouraged him to initially run for office, saying they saw in him what he instilled in them: a belief in the common good.
“I never planned in my life to run for office, but I think my life prepared me well,” he said.
And using that old football coach mentality, Walz bellowed to supporters that the campaign’s mantra for the next 87 days is, “we’ll sleep when we’re dead.” All of the hard work, he said, will pay off when people wake up the days after the election and welcome Harris as president.
Walz said Trump sees the world differently than supporters in Las Vegas, emphasizing, “Donald Trump knows nothing about service.”
“It’s pretty hard to provide service to others when you’re too busy looking out for yourself,” he continued.
Walz later told supporters that by voting they will look out for each other.
“I know very clearly that I am preaching to the choir, but here are my words for you: The choir needs to sing.”
That kind of messaging is exactly why Las Vegas resident Shonna Mackelprang brought her teenage daughter, Saffiya, to the rally.
Mackelprang said it was important to have a shared experience with her child to expose a future generation of voters to the power of getting behind a candidate.
“I’m actually really glad that it’s only 90 days out because we can keep everybody’s attention, we can keep everybody’s energy. We can keep people enthusiastic about voting and I love what’s happening right now,” said Shonna Mackelprang, who lined up prior to doors opening with thousands of supporters outside the arena.
It was a lively scene with music and food — and with plenty of energy for Harris. The 18,500-seat arena wound up being about 75% full.
All the Democrats in Nevada’s federal delegation spoke ahead of Harris, including Rep. Steven Horsford who stressed the importance of voting for Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
“Democracy is a team sport. So that means that there is something that every one of us can do between now and election day,” said Horsford, who is facing former North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee in the 4th Congressional District.
U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who is facing a competitive race in November against Republican opponent Sam Brown, told the crowd that Nevadans have the option of lower prescription drug costs, tax breaks for working families and protecting reproductive freedoms.
And that option starts with Harris in the White House, she said, adding Harris “knows that no one is above the law. No one is above our democracy, and that our country is at its best when we stand united.”
“There’s a choice. A choice between a convicted criminal who’s only out for himself,” she said, referencing Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in New York. “Don’t boo, vote.”
Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., said Harris serves as a “breath of fresh air” and “clear contrast” to Trump, referring to his status as a convicted felon. She warned that reproductive rights, working families and seniors and LGBTQ+ communities would suffer under a Trump presidency.
“They’re in for a rude awakening if they think they can take Nevada because I’ll tell you from personal experience — never, never count out Nevada Dems. We outwork, we out-organize and, most importantly, we outvote and that’s exactly what we’re going to do in November.”
Republicans are reminding voters of what they say are poor economic policies the Biden administration have passed over the last three years.
“A visit from Harris and Walz to the Silver State will do nothing to distract Nevada voters from the horrible reality of Kamala Harris’ economic policies and sky-high inflation,” said Halee Dobbins, the communications director in Nevada for the Republican National Committee, in a statement.
haajrah.gilani@gmg vegas.com / 702-990-8923 / @haajrahgilani