Tim Waltz makes first visit to hometown as Democratic vice presidential candidate

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tim Walz touted his Nebraska roots Saturday during his first return to his home state since becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee and drew a stark contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Walz stressed his love for Nebraska football to the crowd and joked about the historical significance of the classic car replicas at the Motor Henge, which is located near where he teaches on the western edge of Nebraska. He then emphasized the values ​​he learned growing up: helping neighbors and taking care of everyone’s business.

Most importantly, like Nebraska, Minnesota’s strength comes from our values,” he said of the state where he serves as governor.

Waltz stressed that he and Harris believe in helping all Americans succeed, not just the millionaires and billionaires he said Trump and the Republican Party want to help.

Waltz is aiming to pick up the lone electoral vote in Omaha’s swing 2nd Congressional District (CD2), which could be split from the rest of the heavily Republican state, which Democrat Joe Biden won in 2020 and Barack Obama won in 2008. Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, is expected to visit Omaha next week for a private fundraiser hosted by Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts.

“I think this shows how important we are as Blue Dot CD2,” said Omaha professor Wes Jensen.

Walz accused Republicans of interfering in people’s daily lives, saying the fact they want to make decisions about Americans’ health care, including abortion rights, and are trying to undermine Social Security is “not only bizarre, it’s dangerous. When they try to overturn an election, it’s not only bizarre, it’s un-American.”

Supporters hope Walz’s knowledge of rural America — he grew up in the sandhill towns of Valentine and Butte — can help Democrats appeal to large swaths of Republican strongholds where few have been competitive in recent elections.

Al Davis, a former state senator who represents the western Nebraska town of Alliance, said Waltz moved to Minnesota, where he worked as a teacher for six years, after meeting his wife. He believes Waltz “can speak to the rural part of the country. That’s something no other candidate could ever do.” He added, “So I hope this generates some votes in rural Nebraska and throughout the north-central part of the country.”