By Lizzie Ramirez | Photos by Michael Smyth

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, visited Reno on Tuesday, Oct. 8 to make two key stops in the battleground state: an invitation-only campaign reception and a public rally. 

This is Walz’ second time visiting Reno. He was in town for a planned rally on Sept. 9, the third day of the Davis Fire when Washoe County was in a state of emergency. The rally was canceled, but Walz still visited Reno, visiting first responders who were fighting to keep the community safe. He promised a return trip to Reno for a proper rally. 

Walz landed in Reno at 4:25 p.m. and was greeted at the airport by a representative from each of four northern Nevada tribes: the Yerington Paiute Tribe, the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the Stewart Community of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Walz was also greeted by the chairwoman of the Nevada Democratic Party, state Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno. 

After the brief greeting and quick photo op, Walz entered his car and the motorcade followed him to his first stop: the campaign reception. 

The reception was a private fundraising event in south Reno that included remarks from the candidate. 

“Thanks for pausing your lives for a moment to believe that our politics can be bigger,” Walz said. “You’re all here because you love this country. It’s as simple as that.”

The crowd erupted in cheers and claps. They held signs in the air that said “Coach!” and some wore the “Harris Walz” camo hat. 

“You know this race is close,” Walz told the crowd. “Yes, it’s a divided country, and we have the capacity to turn the page on that type of governance.”

Walz then reminisced on a memory he shared with Vice President Kamala Harris. It was their first week of campaign stops. One side of the street was filled with supporters while the other side was filled with people who were not supporters. Harris turned to Walz and said “Tim, don’t ever forget we’re doing this, and we work just as hard for folks on that side of the street and the folks on that side of the street.”

The crowd once again clapped when Walz shared this story. 

The governor went on to explain how elections are run and that everyone understood the process — except for former President Donald Trump.

“Look, we all run these elections. We know how this works,” Walz explained. “You run a count of the votes, one person’s a winner, one person’s a loser, and the person who loses shakes the hand of the winner and says, ‘I’ll do all we can to help you out.’ All of us who run for office have been in [that place]. This is the way it works, except for Donald Trump…”

Walz went on to reveal new details that emerged in Tuesday’s headlines: Trump stayed in touch with Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, and had allegedly supplied Putin with COVID-19 testing materials during the pandemic. 

The 18-minute speech touched on a variety of topics including the misinformation about Springfield, Ohio, where Trump alleged Haitians were “eating the dogs and cats,” immigration, Medicare, Project 2025, abortion, the economy and global climate change with Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida. 

“Their campaign is about the future. It’s about being for something, not just against everything. Meanwhile, the other guy is just stuck in the past.”

Walz ended his remarks by reading a story a dying friend of his shared.

“Billy and I go to the polls together. We vote on Election Day. We laugh about this now, but in May after the shock and sadness… from receiving news I had six months to live, I had Billy call the circuit clerk in Oxford, Mississippi… and ask his friend when absentee voting would be available for the November Presidential Election,” Walz read. “We were told I could absentee vote on September 23 and I remember thinking ‘I’m not going to make it.’”

The individual revealed the day they wrote this sentiment was on Sept. 23 as they casted “the last vote of [their] lifetime to protect the Constitution of the United States.”

“I cast the last vote of my lifetime for honesty, decency and integrity. I cast the last vote of my lifetime for my loving neighbor, regardless of their race or their religion or who they love. I cast the last vote of my lifetime for innocent immigrants who want to live and contribute and be part of this great country. I cast the last vote of my lifetime for women who have the right to make decisions about their own body. I cast the last vote of my lifetime at a building up for poor and middle class Americans. On behalf of my precious grandchild, I cast the last vote of my lifetime…” Walz read to the crowd. 

By the time Walz finished reading this story, attendees in the audience were wiping their eyes. One man wiped his whole face, his eyes red and glossy. The woman next to him carefully rubbed her eyes, intently listening to the governor give his closing remarks. 

Walz’ next stop wasthe Grand Sierra Resort, which was buzzing with an overflow of attendees. The venue was bleeding supporters, everyone crammed in the Silver State Pavilion Ballroom on the basement floor. About 15 minutes before the rally started, attendees started to do the wave in the crowd, one side of the room holding their Harris Walz signs up and cheering before the rest of the ballroom followed with a cascade of blue posters.

At 6:30 p.m. actor Ed Helms, known for his role in “The Hangover” movies, made the opening speech to welcome Walz.

“I’m here today for the same reason that you are,” Helms started. “For the same reason that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are running in this election. We love our country and we believe in the promise of this big, beautiful, diverse nation of ours.”

The crowd burst into cheers and applause, with campaign signs held up to show support. 

“We need steady, grounded, reliable leaders… Leaders who heal our divisions, not worsen them. And that’s exactly what we have in Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Helms said. “Their campaign is about the future. It’s about being for something, not just against everything. Meanwhile, the other guy is just stuck in the past.”

The crowd kept cheering and agreeing with what Helms was presenting. He spoke for about six minutes before Teamsters Local 533 Vice President Andrew Rivas was introduced. Rivas shared that in September Nevada Teamsters—along with union members in California, Hawaii and Guam—unanimously voted to endorse Harris and Walz. 

It wasn’t long until Walz finally approached the stage to chants of “Coach! Coach! Coach!”

The room was lively with Harris-Walz supporters. People were smiling, cheering and clapping, or in some instances booing when Walz mentioned Trump and conservative ideologies. Walz touched upon the same points he had during the earlier reception, again to a supportive crowd. The night ended with Walz and the crowd chanting together.

“When we fight,” Walz started. “We win!” the whole room boasted.