'Jaw-Dropping' Energy as Voters Line Up for Miles for Harris-Walz Rally in Wisconsin

Holding her second rally in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin since launching her presidential bid, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted Wednesday by a crowd of people who had waited in mileslong lines of cars to see her and her newly announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speak about their campaign for the White House.

A timelapse video posted on X by Adam Duxter, a reporter for local CBS News affiliate WCCO, showed a long line of people waiting to enter a venue that holds 30,000 in Eau Claire, a city that is represented by a Republican in Congress, as campaign staffer Victor Shi said.

"Holy cow," said Shi. "This energy and enthusiasm are freaking jaw-dropping."

Shi also posted a video of the crowd of tens of thousands of people waiting for Harris and Walz to speak, along with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

The rally came a day after Harris and Walz appeared in Philadelphia for their first official campaign event together as running mates. Harris' selection of Walz has won praise from labor unions, reproductive rights groups, and climate action organizations, with advocates praising his unapologetic support for universal school meals for public school students, paid family and medical leave, a Minnesota law that codified Roe v. Wade, and legal protections for transgender youths who get gender-affirming healthcare.

"One day after Kamala Harris had a packed house in Philadelphia, she is following it up with another packed house in Wisconsin," said Democratic activist Aaron Parnas. "Folks, a movement is brewing."

A photo by Star Tribune photographer Glen Stubbe showed a long line of cars on a road leading to the venue, and KSTP reporter Eric Chaloux filmed a line that began two and a half miles away from the venue.

In late July, days after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside in the 2024 election and endorsed Harris, under pressure from Democratic leaders and donors, Harris held her first campaign event in Milwaukee, speaking to a packed auditorium at West Allis Central High School at an event that showed a stark contrast to Biden's events, including a debate in late June where his performance intensified concerns about his age and health.

The crowded venue in Eau Claire and lines that started forming hours before the rally on Wednesday exemplified what one observer called "2008-level enthusiasm among Democrats right now."

Harris and Walz are planning to make stops in North Carolina's Research Triangle; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix; and Las Vegas during a battleground state tour in the coming days.