Editor's note: NBC Chicago will offer a live feed of evening and primetime speeches each day Monday-Thursday in the player above and on the NBC 5 Chicago News 24/7 streaming channel.
Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will "introduce himself to the American people" during his acceptance speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago Wednesday.
Walz, who wasn't widely known outside of Minnesota before being chosen as Harris' running mate, will face a national audience that’s still getting to know him when he headlines the convention's third night.
Harris and Walz clicked when she interviewed him, and she was impressed by his record as a governor and congressman — and the splash he made on TV. His attack line against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance — “These guys are just weird” — spread like a prairie fire.
Since Harris announced her pick, the campaign has raced to introduce the country to the 60-year-old governor and self-described “Midwest dad.” At the same time, Republicans have tried to deflate Walz by poking holes in his biography and some of his past uses of imprecise language and misstatements of facts by him or staffers are resurfacing.
Here's what to know about his address:
What time does Walz speak Wednesday?
Local
Walz is expected to headline Wednesday night's event, which likely means he will be last speaker on the lineup.
The "main programming" is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, and continue through 10 p.m., though both nights of the convention so far have run longer.
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Organizers warned that schedule changes were possible after Monday's event saw "real-time adjustments" that canceled some speeches and performances, including one from James Taylor, in order to get to President Joe Biden's highly anticipated speech.
On Tuesday, Obama's speech was the last of the night, and despite the scheduled "gavel out" slated for 10:15 p.m., the speech went beyond 10:30 p.m.
What will Walz talk about?
Walz faces dual tasks in his speech in Chicago. The Minnesota governor, who has become known among supporters as a folksy, Midwestern teacher, coach and dad, will introduce himself to the rest of the country. He’ll also need to articulate the campaign’s central message, and theme for the evening: "A Fight for Our Freedoms."
The campaign said Walz would spend his primetime address talking about his time growing up in Nebraska, his service in the National Guard, his work as a teacher and football coach and his time in Congress before he was elected governor. Ahead of his appearance on stage, John Legend will perform a Prince tribute, the campaign said.
"He'll introduce himself to the American people tonight on the convention stage, highlighting the small town values that have shaped his lifetime of service and his commitment to safeguarding the freedoms that we all hold dear," DNC director Alex Hornbrook said.
While he declined to offer specifics on the campaign ideas he plans to run on, Harris-Walz campaign communications director Michael Tyler said Walz aims to provide "a cementing of this introductory frame."
"He's been on the stump for about two weeks so far, since the vice president announced him as her running mate, and they've obviously gotten busy crisscrossing the country, going to all the battleground states," Tyler said. "Again, you've seen the enthusiasm from the crowds from places like Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit; Phoenix; Las Vegas; and then, of course, even last night, right up the road in Milwaukee ... he's only been on the stump for two weeks. And so the vast majority of the American people on a wider sloth of the electorate is going to have the opportunity to fully understand and get to know who Gov. Walz is, right? As somebody who was a school teacher, a football coach, and then obviously has been congressman and governor for some time now, the through line there is going to be that Gov. Walz has always been somebody who's fought for the vulnerable, who's fought for those in need, who's taken on special interest for the benefit of the people that he represents. And so the American people will have an opportunity to see that in primetime tonight, many for the very first time."
Who else is speaking on Day 3 of the convention?
The full list of speakers and timing for Day 3 has not yet been released, but in addition to headlining speeches from former President Bill Clinton and Walz, the convention’s third night will include some of the party’s biggest names and anticipated future leaders.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York will speak. So will an all-star list of senators: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Also addressing the convention will be Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist to be Harris’ running mate. Both are seen as ascendant in Democratic politics.
On the list once again are several Republican speakers, including White House staffer for former president Donald Trump Olivia Troye, an ex-national security official, and former Lt. Gov. of Georgia Geoff Duncan.
To help articulate the evening’s theme around fighting for freedoms, Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of the nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All will give remarks.
As for the focus of some of the most high-profile speeches, DNC director Alex Hornbrook said Clinton plans to "underscore the importance of this moment and this election, not just for our party, but for our country's future."
How to watch the DNC Day 3
All four floor sessions of the Democratic National Convention will be livestreamed on NBC Chicago’s website and mobile app, and in the player above.
The speeches will also be available on the NBC 5 Chicago News 24/7 Streaming Channel.
Viewers can also expect expanded coverage via Telemundo Chicago and the Telemundo Chicago app.
Streaming times (all times Central):
Wednesday: 5:30-10 p.m.
NBC Chicago will also carry primetime DNC coverage featuring the evening’s keynote speakers, interviews with prominent politicians and undecided voters, along with expert analysis previewing November’s presidential election each day of the convention.
The primetime DNC coverage will air live from the United Center beginning at 8 p.m.
