CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris. “We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple, reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.
Ahead of his speech, Benjamin C. Ingman, one of Walz’s old high school students, introduced the man many speakers — and Harris at times — have referred to as “Coach.” At Ingman’s prompting, many of Walz’s former players decked out in their red and white jerseys took the stage to help introduce him.
Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska, and teaching and coaching football in Minnesota, telling the crowd, “I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this but I’ve given a lot of pep talks.” When talking about his time as Minnesota governor, Walz said, “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours.” After Walz spoke about the difficulty conceiving his daughter, Hope, she made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest.
His son, Gus, wept watching his dad speak and at least once shouted, “That’s my dad!” Democrats gathered at Chicago’s United Center are hoping to build on the momentum Harris has b.