Harris and Walz Roll Into the Midwest, Trying to Claw Back Rural Support

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, issued a full-throated appeal to rural America on Wednesday, promoting her economic policies and his Midwestern bona fides as they refined their one-two-punch campaign approach before 12,000 supporters in rural Wisconsin.

In Eau Claire, Wis., Mr. Walz, who needs to introduce himself quickly to a national audience, ticked off his résumé as a former football coach who was raised in small Nebraska towns and has a by-the-bootstraps back story. In a speech resembling his debut with Ms. Harris on Tuesday evening, he pointed out that he was a former schoolteacher and House member who served in a conservative-leaning district.

“I learned how to compromise without compromising my values,” he said.

Mr. Walz, a military veteran, castigated former President Donald J. Trump as having “no understanding of service because he’s too busy servicing himself — again and again and again.” He warned of Project 2025, the far-reaching conservative proposals pushed by Trump allies, and of a second term for the former president: “It will be far worse than it was four years ago.” Mr. Walz even incorporated a rallygoer’s suffering in the dusty heat into his message of inclusivity and kindness.

“That’s who we are,” he said, pausing his speech so the person could be helped. “It’s not about mocking.”

If Mr. Walz was laying his background on thick, it was because he was hired to do just that: When Ms. Harris took the stage, she did it with a “warm Midwest welcome” from him and the crowd. She brought greetings from President Biden and then jumped into her well-worn (by now) efforts to strike a contrast with Mr. Trump, warning of his tax policies, his administration’s efforts to