EAU CLAIRE — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2024, stopped in Eau Claire on Tuesday, taking on Elon Musk and the billionaire’s role in reshaping the federal government.
“We know what’s at stake. I’m not going to whistle past the graveyard and tell you that everything is fine,” Walz told the crowd. “You came here because you love your country.”
Walz, who ran with presidential candidate Kamala Harris in a losing effort to Donald Trump and JD Vance, said Republicans talk about their love of freedom, but they really mean they love their privilege.
“When we say we love freedom, we mean we love freedom for everyone,” he said.
Walz was the main speaker at the town hall, encouraging voters to choose Susan Crawford in the state Supreme Court race, rather than Brad Schimel.
While state Supreme Court races are technically non-partisan, Democrats in the state have generally lined up behind Crawford, while Republicans are generally backing Schimel, who previously served as Wisconsin Attorney General. The Supreme Court is viewed as having a 4-3 liberal majority; if Crawford wins, it would remain a liberal majority.
Walz noted that by the time of the election, between $75 million and $80 million will have been spent on advertising for the court race.
“We are in a fight like we haven’t seen, and that’s why we are here tonight,” Walz said. “We have to take it like cleaning the house — one chunk at a time. And we start with Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race.”
The event was held at the Pablo Center at the Confluence with more than 800 people in attendance, with the lower deck full, and the upper deck was opened. After Walz gave his opening remarks, he answered numerous questions from the public. He talked about how Minnesota now has free breakfast and lunch for all students, saying children learn better when they don’t have an empty stomach.
“Our absentee levels went down and our testing scores went up,” he said.
Walz also said he isn’t ashamed to say that the government can do things right. He told the crowd that they are “not over-reacting” when they talk about Trump being a danger and threat to democracy, and it will be protests and patriotism that will save us.
“We don’t disagree with Republicans because they are Republicans; we disagree with them because they are wrong,” he said with laughter.
Walz noted that U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, a conservative, did the right thing Tuesday morning by issuing a statement admonishing Trump for saying he wanted to impeach a federal judge for ruling against a Trump deportation plan.
Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, told the crowd that “the election is in the final sprint,” as early voting began Tuesday, and continues this week and next. Election day is April 1. Wikler noted that Schimel defended the 1849 abortion law that remains in place in the state and supports changing the legislative maps back to the pre-2024 boundaries.
Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, an Eau Claire native, criticized Musk for his $13 million donation to support Schimel’s race.
“There is something really wrong right now, because Elon Musk — yeah that guy — thinks he can buy our Supreme Court,” Godlewski said to a fired-up crowd. “And it’s not because he loves democracy or loves Wisconsin, it’s because he loves his bottom line, and we cannot let him do that.”
And Musk’s company, Tesla, is suing Wisconsin, she added.
Godlewski noted that the state Supreme Court upheld the Wisconsin election outcome in 2020 by just one vote. She also criticized U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden for not holding town hall events in the district, which includes Eau Claire.
“It’s like (Van Orden) thinks his job is in some sort of witness protection program,” Godlewski said. “While he’s in hiding, we will remember it’s not the billionaires who represent us, it’s us.”
Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, released a statement Tuesday about the town hall in his legislative district.
“Tim Walz’s town hall stop in Wisconsin is simply a desperate attempt to save face and remain relevant after his embarrassing defeat, which sent him back to Minnesota in disgrace,” Van Orden wrote. “Wisconsin voters rejected the far-left policies that resulted in $9 per dozen eggs and sky-high fuel costs. America is finally moving in the right direction, thanks to President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance, and voters throughout the Third District have no desire to ‘Minnesota their Wisconsin.’”
Zach Bannon, regional spokesman with the National Republican Committee, noted that Walz has not held a town hall since 2019.
Walz’s “pathetic circus act is nothing more than a desperate distraction from Democrats’ failed and out-of-touch record,” Bannon wrote in a press release ahead of Tuesday’s event. “Wisconsinites rejected Walz last year and will reject this manufactured production of political theatre.”
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