Watch: Tim Walz’s Full 2024 DNC Speech

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz opened his 2024 Democratic National Convention speech by thanking Vice President Kamala Harris for the “confidence” he placed in her campaign and praising President Biden’s “historic leadership.”

“It is my honor to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States,” Walz began.

Walz spent time discussing his backgroundfrom growing up in a small town in Nebraska to enlist in the Army National GuardHe then went on to work as a teacher and soccer coach in Minnesota, where he drew on his earlier team pep talks to inspire Americans.

“It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense. We’re driving down the field. And man, we’ve got the right team to win this,” Walz said.

During his speech, Walz discussed important issues such as reproductive care, taxes, guns and more. He also mentioned Project2025and said it would make things “much, much harder” for people.

Below you can read the full transcript of Walz’s prepared 2024 DNC speeches.

Thank you!

Thank you, Vice President Kamala Harris, for your confidence in me and for inviting me to be a part of this incredible campaign. Thank you to President Joe Biden for four years of strong, historic leadership. And it is the honor of my lifetime to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States.

We are all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country! So thank you to all of you here in Chicago and those of you watching at home tonight: for your passion, for your determination, for the joy you bring to this fight.

I grew up in a small town called Butte, Nebraska, population 400. I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale. When you grow up in a small town like that, you learn to take care of each other. The family next door — they may not think like you, they may not pray like you, they may not love each other like you, but they’re your neighbors. And you take care of them, just like they take care of you.

Everyone belongs and everyone has a responsibility to contribute. For me, that was serving in the Army National Guard. I enlisted two days after my 17th birthday and proudly wore our country’s uniform for 24 years. My father, a Korean War veteran, died a few years later of lung cancer, leaving behind a mountain of medical debt. Thank God for Social Security survivor benefits. And thank God for the GI Bill, which made it possible for my father and me to go to college, just as millions of Americans have.

Eventually, I fell in love with teaching, just like the rest of my family. In fact, three of the four of us married teachers. I eventually became a social studies teacher and coached football at Mankato West High School. Keep it up Scarlets! We had a 4-4 defense, played to the whistle every down, and even won a state championship. Never close that yearbook, folks.

It was my students who first inspired me to run for Congress. They saw in me what I hoped to instill in them: a commitment to the common good. An understanding that we are all in this together. And a true belief that one person can make a real difference for their neighbors.

So there I was, a 40-something high school teacher with young kids, zero political experience, no money, and running in a deep red district. But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher.

I represented my neighbors in Congress for 12 years, and I learned so much. I learned how to work across the aisle on issues like growing rural economies and taking care of our veterans. And I learned how to compromise without compromising my values.

Then I came back home to run for governor, and we immediately went to work to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. We cut taxes for middle-class families. We passed paid family and medical leave. We invested in anti-crime and affordable housing. We lowered the cost of prescription drugs and helped people escape the kind of medical debt that nearly destroyed my family. And we made sure every child in our state had breakfast and lunch in school. So while other states were banning books from their schools, we were banning hunger from our schools.

We also protected reproductive freedom because in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. And even if we didn’t make the same choices for ourselves, we have a Golden Rule: Mind your own damn business.

That includes IVF and fertility treatments. This is personal for Gwen and me. Let me say this: Even if you’ve never been through the hell of infertility, I’m sure you know someone who has. I remember praying every night for a phone call with good news, the knot in my stomach when the phone rang, and the agony of hearing that the treatments hadn’t worked. It took Gwen and me years.

But we had access to fertility treatments, and when our daughter was finally born, we named her Hope. Hope, Gus, Gwen—you are my world. I love you all so much.

I’m going to tell you how we started our family, because that’s a big part of what this election is about: freedom. When Republicans use that word, they mean the government should be free to raid your doctor’s office. Corporations free to pollute your air and water. Banks free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean your freedom to create a better life for yourself and the people you love. The freedom to make your own health care decisions. And yes, the freedom for your children to go to school without fear of being shot in the hallways.

Look, I know all about guns. I’m a veteran. I’m a hunter. I was a better shot than most Republicans in Congress, and I have the trophies to prove it. But I’m also a father. I believe in the Second Amendment. But I also believe that our first responsibility is to keep our children safe. That’s what this is all about. The responsibility that we have to our children, to each other, and to the future that we’re building together — a future in which everyone is free to build the kind of life that they want.

But not everyone feels the same sense of responsibility. Some people just don’t understand what it means to be a good neighbor. Take Donald Trump and J.D. Vance: Their Project 2025 is going to make things much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives. They’ve spent a lot of time pretending they don’t know anything about it. But look, I’ve coached high school football long enough, I promise you this: If someone takes the time to write a playbook, they plan on using it.

We know what they will do if they get back into the White House. They will raise costs for middle-class families. They will repeal the Affordable Care Act. They will gut Social Security and Medicare. They will ban abortion across America, with or without Congress.

It’s an agenda that no one asked for. It’s an agenda that serves no one but the wealthiest people and the most extreme voices in our country. An agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need. Is that wrong? Absolutely. But it’s also wrong. And it’s dangerous. I’m not just saying that. These are Trump’s own people. They were with him for four years. And they’re warning us that the next four years are going to be much, much worse.

When I was teaching, we always elected a student body president. And you know what? Those teenagers could teach Donald Trump a lesson about what it means to be a leader. Leaders don’t spend all day insulting people and accusing people. Leaders do the work. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to turn the page with these guys. So say it with me: “We’re not going back.”

We have something better to offer the American people. It starts with our candidate, Kamala Harris. From her first day as our district attorney, our district attorney, our attorney general, our U.S. senator, and then as our vice president, she has fought alongside the American people. She has stood up to predators and fraudsters. She has defeated transnational gangs. She has taken on powerful corporate interests. She has never hesitated to go the other way if it meant making lives better. And she has always done so with energy, passion, and joy.

Folks, we have a chance to make Kamala Harris the next president of the United States. But I think we owe it to the American people to tell them exactly what she would do as president before we ask for their vote. So here’s the part you cut, save, and send to that undecided relative.

If you’re a middle-class family or a family trying to get to the middle class, Kamala Harris is going to cut your taxes. If you’re being squeezed by the price of your prescription drugs, Kamala Harris is going to take on Big Pharma. If you’re hoping to buy a house, Kamala Harris is going to help make it more affordable. And whoever you are, Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to live. Because that’s what we want for ourselves. And that’s what we want for our neighbors.

You know, I haven’t given many big speeches like this in my life. But I’ve given a lot of pep talks. So let me end with this, team. It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense. We’re driving down the field. And man, we’ve got the right team to win this. Kamala Harris is tough. She’s experienced. And she’s ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and block and tackle. One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time. We’ve only got 76 days to go. That’s nothing. We’ll sleep when we’re dead. And we’re going to leave it all on the field.

That’s how we keep moving forward. That’s how we turn the page on Donald Trump. That’s how we build a country where workers come first, where health care and housing are human rights, and where government stays out of our bedrooms. That’s how we make America a place where no child goes hungry. Where no community is left behind. Where no one is told they don’t belong.

This is how we’re going to fight. And as the next president of the United States says, “If we fight, we win!” If we fight, we win! If we fight, we win!

Thank you, and may God bless America!