‘There is hope in this election’: Young Democrats embrace new ticket

By Eleanor Shaw

CHICAGO — Apparently Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t the only Democratic candidate who’s fond of surprise appearances.

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Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz jogged onto stage, grinning ear to ear, during the Democratic National Convention’s Youth Council forum on Tuesday as a surprise guest. The room erupted into loud cheers as he took to the podium.

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“Each and every one of you, thank you for believing in this country,” Walz said upon greeting the roughly 70 young voters (defined as 36 and younger) and mostly decked out in blue.

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Walz, alongside the forum’s other speakers, used his appearance to encourage his audience to vote for “the party of freedom” and back the Harris-Walz ticket in November.

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Walz, the Minnesota governor, emphasized three themes recurring throughout the forum: climate change, abortion access and education costs. Walz said youth, more than other generations, have a direct stake in these issues. 

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“Around climate change, [young voters] need to take a role,” Walz said. “You know why? Because I’m going to be dead long before the impact … and you and your generation are going to feel the brunt of it.”

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Other speakers — including Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Chairman of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians Andrew “Dru” Alejandre and Texas U.S. Rep. Greg Casar — also focused on these points, with each person rousing loud cheers from the audience.

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At one point, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson led the room in several call-and-response chants, such as “Who fired up?”/ “We fired up” and “We are” / “The movement.” His speech inspired a standing ovation as he continued the chants while walking offstage.

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Pennsylvania delegate Kaylee Werner — her state’s youngest delegate at 20 years old — said the energy and excitement wasn’t limited to the forum. Since Harris became her party’s presidential pick, Werner said she’s felt a noticeable difference among Democratic youth.

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Werner said Walz’s appearance was the “perfect” surprise, calling him the “Midwestern Princess” — a reference to popstar Chappell Roan’s 2023 album.

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“He’s just bringing a new energy to this campaign,” Werner said. “It’s excitement. It’s enthusiasm. It’s young. It’s … bringing together a bunch of different communities.”

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Sterling Raiklen, the Nevada deputy state director of nonpartisan group Progressive Victory that educates young voters on elections and civic participation, said the disengagement before the ticket change was mostly because voters weren’t fans of either Donald Trump or Joe Biden. Now, Raiklen said the new ticket has drawn more positive attention. 

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Harris is a more “relatable” candidate for young people, Raiklen said — something he also noticed about Trump’s vice presidential pick and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.

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“Either side of the aisle, that’s something new,” Raiklen said. “There’s a conversation around that. The engagement and excitement is a different level than it was a few weeks ago”

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Adam Lacasse, a 24-year-old Democratic delegate from Michigan, worked for Virginia U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s successful 2022 campaign. He said his friends were exhilarated the day Biden passed the torch to Harris.

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“[They] were texting me about how excited they were and how there is hope in this election,” Lacasse said. “Since 2016, politics has been something you stressed out about, something you dreaded. The fear for the other side still does exist here, but that excitement is back.”

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Lacasse said many of the individuals he’s worked with only know the post-2016 political atmosphere, so a mood of hopefulness is largely unfamiliar. 

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“It’s that ‘Oh! This is what politics is supposed to be,’” he said. 

Werner, who said she originally pledged her nomination to Biden, said she “definitely” sees herself in Harris more than she did in the sitting president.

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“Personally, I’m very excited to be a delegate for them now,” Werner said.

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During his remarks, Walz said Trump and the Republican Party cares too much about what happens in medical clinics, bedrooms and schools.

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Similarly, Lacasse said another Trump presidency threatens his and others’ abilities to love who they love, protest how they want to protest and access the abortion care.

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For Werner, she said Trump’s campaign is contradictory to her values for “uplifting others and making sure everybody has equal opportunities to thrive.” 

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“Instead of ‘Why not vote for Trump?’ — ‘Why not vote for Harris?’” Werner said. “She stands for everything we do.”