Gwen Walz Looks to Energize and Mobilize Voters at Michigan Rally Tonight

MARQUETTE, Mich. (Erie News Now) -- Gwen Walz, the wife of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, will rally supporters this evening in Marquette, Michigan. 

The First Lady of Minnesota is making the stop at Northern Michigan University. According to the Harris campaign, the focus tonight will be getting out the vote.  

Mobilizing and engaging voters across Michigan is key for the campaign. Mrs. Walz is expected to meet with and encourage volunteers to do some last-minute door-knocking, while discussing the Harris-Walz priorities if Democrats were to win the White House.  

Local party officials say Gwen Walz has a unique background that can relate to blue collar voters, not only in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but across the country. 

Local volunteers and canvassers are in the final stages of this campaign, now just ten days before the election. The Upper Peninsula is a unique stop for this campaign because out of the several counties in the U.P., Marquette County is the only predominately blue county that went for both Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. 

Party officials say the importance of turnout is critical for the battleground state. 

“The Upper Peninsula is important,” said Tony Tollefson, Chair of the Marquette County Democratic Party. “It’s a close race and it's going to be a matter of getting a turnout, and this is what part of that rally's for. It’s to just motivate people, let them know that their vote is critical and that they should be feeling good about getting out and supporting their candidate,” he added. 

In addition to her stop at Northern Michigan University, Gwen Walz will also visit Escanaba, Mich. in Delta County on Saturday.  

The area has seen other surrogates this campaign season, including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as well as Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg. 

Early voting in battleground Michigan begins Saturday Oct. 26.