Kamala Harris fires up massive Milwaukee crowd with unique convention week campaign rally

Moments after the Democratic National Convention’s roll call vote came to a close, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to an ecstatic crowd at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where an estimated 15,000 people gathered to watch the nominee speak.

Harris delivered a rousing speech to an audience that was absolutely on fire with a palpable energy permeating the very same arena where Donald Trump delivered his convention speech at the Republican National Convention just over a month ago. It was very much a campaign rally speech and this was very much a campaign rally — albeit one held in rather unique circumstances. 

Because just down the road, the Democratic Party was hosting its convention at the United Center in Chicago. Harris took the stage in Milwaukee just as she officially, formally, ceremoniously became the Democratic nominee, following the delegate votes cast during the DNC’s roll call. They pulled off a nifty bit of stagecraft on the broadcast, bouncing between the two cities, the two arenas, as Harris enthusiastically accepted the nomination. 

“The baton is now in our hands,” said Harris.

Perhaps it is a bit unconventional to be holding a campaign rally just up the road from where the actual convention was taking place. But we know how important Wisconsin is to winning this election. So, why not hold a rally there, fire up supporters, and sell out two NBA arenas in the Midwest on the same night? And if one of those sellout events happens in the very same place where Republicans held their convention, all the better.

To read the the full story, visit Dan Shafer’s The Recombobulation Area Substack.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on The Recombobulation Area and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. The Recombobulation Area is a thirteen-time Milwaukee Press Club award–winning weekly opinion column and online publication founded by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Learn more about it here.