ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) 鈥 Tim Walz鈥檚 dual role as Minnesota鈥檚 governor and Vice President Kamala Harris鈥 running mate was on full display Saturday as he attended a tailgate with Michigan football fans before going on the field to meet with Minnesota鈥檚 coach.
Walz visited Ann Arbor to watch the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota teams play in what is expected to be his final major campaign appearance before Tuesday's
Earlier in the day, Walz was greeted at the airport by University of Michigan students, who had arrived in a bus bearing a banner that read 鈥淧ut Me In, Coach!鈥 Michigan won the game against Walz's home state school.
Walz has leaned into as a football coach and teacher while on the campaign trail as the Democrats look to drum up enthusiasm among young voters, with Walz having made multiple recent visits to university campuses.
The visit comes before the debate on Tuesday between Walz and Donald Trump鈥檚 running mate, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. After Saturday鈥檚 game, Walz traveled to northern Michigan for final debate prep before the faceoff.
Harris, meanwhile, held a fundraiser in San Francisco on Saturday, telling a crowd full of raucous supporters that 鈥渟o much is on the line in this election,鈥 as she talked about abortion bans in states and the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that granted broad immunity to presidents.
鈥淚 am convinced,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he American people are convinced that it is time to turn the page.鈥
She said the American people were ready for 鈥渓eadership that is optimistic,鈥 and that鈥檚 why her supporters, including 鈥渁re supporting our campaign because they want an American president who works for all the American people."
Trump held in Wisconsin, and attended a college football game, too 鈥 the prime-time matchup between Georgia and Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Harris campaign launched a new ad to air during the game that needles Trump on the prospect of a second presidential debate. Harris has said she would attend another debate; .
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been playing the role of Vance in Walz鈥檚 debate prep sessions, which so far have taken place at a downtown Minneapolis hotel, according to a person familiar with the arrangements who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private events.
Michigan is one of the key battleground states in November鈥檚 presidential election. While Harris has made multiple visits to Detroit since launching her campaign in July, Walz has focused his efforts on other areas of the state, including a recent trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan鈥檚 second-largest city.
鈥淣o one is winning this state right now,鈥 Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan told reporters just before Walz鈥檚 arrival Saturday. 鈥淲e are a purple state. Donald Trump hasn鈥檛 won this state and Kamala Harris hasn鈥檛 won this state.鈥
Walz has continued to engage with young voters in the campaign, including a recent visit to Michigan State University. In 2022, Michigan saw the rate nationwide as Democrats made historic gains in the state. Energizing similar voters could be crucial for Harris this year.
Following the vice presidential debate, Walz and Harris will campaign together on a bus tour through central Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
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AP writers Will Weissert in San Francsico and Meg Kinnard in South Carolina contributed to this report.
