Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is scheduled to make a significant campaign appearance at a football game between the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Saturday. Walz, who is the governor of Minnesota, will engage with young voters on the college campus before the game kicks off in the afternoon.
Having leveraged his background as a football coach and teacher in Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Walz has been actively visiting university campuses to connect with students. This event precedes the upcoming debate on Tuesday between Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, Donald Trump’s running mate. Following the game, Walz plans to head to northern Michigan for final debate preparations before the showdown, as reported by a source familiar with his itinerary speaking on the condition of anonymity.
In his debate preparations, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been portraying Vance during Walz’s practice sessions, which have taken place at a downtown Minneapolis hotel. Michigan is a crucial battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, with Harris focusing her campaign efforts on Detroit while Walz has been targeting other regions such as Grand Rapids, the state’s second-largest city.
Walz has been actively engaging with young voters during his campaign trail, including a recent visit to Michigan State University. The state witnessed the highest youth voter turnout rate in the country in 2022, leading to significant Democratic gains. Energising a similar demographic could play a pivotal role in Harris’ campaign success this year.
Contributions to this report were made by AP writers Will Weissert in Washington and Meg Kinnard in South Carolina.