The city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, will be at the center of the U.S. political world for a few hours early Wednesday afternoon. Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris and new vice presidential running mate Tim Walz will be speaking at one venue, while Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance is scheduled to speak just a few miles away at an Eau Claire business.
On Tuesday, in downtown Eau Claire, city resident Jeff Duerkop says he’s glad Vice-President Harris has added Minnesota Gov. Walz to the Democratic ticket.
“Everybody said he’s the safe pick and I agree with what I heard. The vice president doesn’t win you the election. But they can lose you the election," Duerkop says.
Other Eau Claire residents say Walz understands the Midwest.
The Wisconsin Republican Party contends Walz did not do enough to preserve public safety during the protests following the police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd in 2020. The GOP also claims that Walz is weak on immigration.
The Harris campaign says that J.D. Vance coming to Eau Claire will serve as a "clear split screen" for Wisconsin to see Trump and Harris's visions for the future.
