Here’s What to Expect at the Democratic National Convention on Day 3

All eyes will be on Gov. Tim Walz as he formally accepts the Democratic Party’s nomination for vice president on Wednesday night.

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Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention will focus on the broad theme of “a fight for our freedoms.”

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota will speak to the largest audience of his political career on Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention, where he will formally accept the party’s nomination for vice president. His speech, on Day 3 of this week’s political coronation at the United Center in Chicago, will be the biggest test so far since Vice President Kamala Harris made the decision to put the jovial, blunt-spoken Midwesterner on the ticket.

Before Mr. Walz’s keynote speech, former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to whip up the crowd, two days after his wife, Hillary Clinton, energized the delegates with a passionate plea for Ms. Harris to finally break the presidential glass ceiling.

Here’s what else to watch for on Wednesday:

The theme: Convention organizers say the speeches tonight will fit broadly into the theme of “a fight for our freedoms.” It is an expansive category that will allow speakers to address legislative fights for abortion rights and health care, champion working families or touch on the need to defend democracy at home and abroad. Campaign officials predicted even more of a focus on former President Donald J. Trump, accusing him of “again running on an extreme agenda to go even farther in turning back the clock on all the freedoms we hold dear.”
The 42nd president: Mr. Clinton is expected to continue the parade of big-name Democrats at the convention with an evening address aimed at demonstrating how the party has coalesced behind Ms. Harris. In speeches, Mrs. Clinton; former President Barack Obama; and his wife, Michelle, the former first lady, have all called on Democrats to rally behind Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz.

The blue wall: With two days left on the convention schedule, several Democratic governors are still expected to give speeches, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who was a finalist for the vice-presidential spot on the ticket. Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, is also scheduled to speak this week. All three represent electorally competitive states, and Ms. Harris will most likely need to win some combination of them to secure a victory over Mr. Trump in a close race. Convention organizers have yet to say when the governors will appear on the stage, but they are likely to do so before the week is over.
The veep: The big moment tonight will be when Mr. Walz takes the stage. Largely unknown across the country before he joined Ms. Harris on the ticket, Mr. Walz has so far proved to be a feisty speaker with an aw-shucks manner but a sharp tongue when he criticizes Republicans and Mr. Trump.

Michael D. Shear is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Biden and his administration. He has reported on politics for more than 30 years. More about Michael D. Shear

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