Up close: The Harris-Walz fundraiser in Park City

Gwen Walz, First Lady of Minnesota, kicks off the Human Rights Campaign's 10 Days of Action in Philadelphia on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Photo: Associated Press // Mark Stehle

PARK CITY, Utah – More than 100 people attended a Utah fundraiser where Gwen Walz, wife of Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, spoke about the stakes of the 2024 presidential election.

The Friday night event took place at a private residence in the mountains of Park City. Before arriving in Utah, Walz had spent time in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, and after her Park City speech, she was scheduled to travel to Nevada. Her visit to Utah follows former President Donald Trump’s recent fundraiser in the state. Both the Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance campaigns are focusing on Latter-day Saints voters, particularly in Nevada and Arizona, believing this demographic could play a key role in these swing states.

In attendance at the Utah fundraiser was U.S. Senate candidate Caroline Gleich, who is challenging Rep. John Curtis for Utah’s open Senate seat, along with former Utah state Senator Scott Howell. The Deseret News reported that during her speech, Walz outlined her husband’s and Vice President Harris’s vision for a “new way forward,” which she said includes offering tax cuts to families, lowering healthcare costs, and making homeownership more accessible. She contrasted this vision with that of Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance, stating that “for nine long years, Trump has been trying to divide us.”

Walz emphasized the importance of reproductive rights in the upcoming election, sharing her belief that women should have the choice to have abortions. Speaking from personal experience, she mentioned that her own family was made possible through fertility treatments, underscoring that the decision to have children should be a personal choice. “When it comes to decisions about our own bodies and lives, I have a message: It is our choice,” she said.

She reflected on meeting women who had long advocated for reproductive rights and expressed frustration at having to fight for these rights again. “They are ready to fight, and so am I,” Walz added.

Walz explained that her husband decided to run for office, in part, because of the shift of certain policies to the state level. Tim Walz was first elected governor in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. She noted that women in state Senate and House leadership have collaborated with the governor to implement what she called “the Minnesota agenda.”

The “Minnesota agenda” refers to a suite of progressive policies promoted by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and state Democratic leaders. It generally focuses on expanding access to healthcare, improving education, addressing climate change, supporting labor rights, and promoting equity and inclusion.