Kamala Harris, Tim Walz in Milwaukee tonight, long lines to get into Fiserv Forum: live updates

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to rally thousands of supporters Tuesday night in a packed arena.

Where? Milwaukee, of course.

In yet another sign of Wisconsin's importance in the November presidential election, Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will speak to the crowd and host a watch party at Fiserv Forum on the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

Milwaukee's neighbor to the south, Chicago, is hosting the convention where Harris is scheduled to formally accept the Democratic nomination for president Thursday. But it's no surprise that some of the national political spotlight is still shining some 90 miles north, in Wisconsin's largest city.

Takeaways from DNC Day One: Joe Biden closes out night, 'Lock him up' chants and Dems' best/worst speakers

Earlier Tuesday, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance traveled to Kenosha for a press conference focused on crime and public safety.

The Journal Sentinel will have live coverage from both events — and in-between them — so you can follow along here for updates. Be sure to refresh your browser often for the latest:

Watch Kamala Harris rally tonight at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

Kamala Harris rally today

Kamala Harris is expected to take the stage at 8 p.m. inside Fiserv Forum.

She'll then watch the rest of the DNC speeches on the big screen with thousands of supporters in the arena. The featured speakers in prime time are former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

— Chris Kuhagen

Kamala Harris rally: Long lines to get into Fiserv Forum continue nearly two hours after doors open

Pro-Palestine prostesters are outside Deer District entrance

A group of about 60 protesters gathered around 5 p.m. at the corner of W. Highland and N. Vel R. Phillips avenues for a planned protest against the war in Gaza.

The Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine organized the protest, calling it “Not Another Bomb” in a post on Instagram. “Wisconsin voters demand Harris & Walz end the genocide immediately,” the post said.

“We’re here today to send a message that Kamala Harris is just as complicit in genocide as Joe Biden,” one person said on the megaphone.

Rally-goers are still waiting outside to go into Fiserv Forum. One of the general admission lines extends to at least King Drive

— Claire Reid and Bridget Fogarty

Two Wisconsin Black women enthusiastic about Kamala Harris as she makes another stop to Wisconsin

As a Black woman who once was involved in politics in California, Jordan Pitzner said sees herself in Kamala Harris. Pitzner is a resident of the town of Farmington, Jefferson County who came to the rally with her husband.

"(I see) all the things that we've fought for and marched for and bled for that have been, you know, threatened and almost taken away," she said. "She's here to help restore what people have literally died for for a couple of centuries now. So that's why I'm here to see her, witness her live and show my support.

Pitzner said she's glad Harris sees Wisconsin as an important state in this upcoming election.

"The fact that the campaign recognizes that and is showing up here in the midst of the convention speaks volumes," she said.

Milwaukee resident Monica Hubbard came to the Fiserv Forum not just because she agrees with Harris' policies, but because she said the vice president's presidential run is historic.

She also appreciated that Harris decided to make a stop in-person, in Milwaukee weeks after the RNC and while the spotlight is on Chicago.

"I like the fact that she's going to be here, she's taking the time out to work the Midwest while she's here for the DNC."

— Bridget Fogarty

Illinois women travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for Kamala Harris rally, love Tim Walz camo hats

When Judy Lange was asked if she drove up from her home in McHenry, Illinois, for the Harris rally she’s quick with a joke.

“No, we flew on our brooms,” Lange said with a wink and coy smile outside of Fiserv Forum.

Lange was with her sister Beth Cherveny and adult daughter Jennifer Lonchar, who are also from McHenry.

“It’s crazy down there,” Lonchar said of the DNC happening in Chicago. “And you can’t get into the DNC.”

Cherveny was wearing a “Harris, Walz” camouflage hat.

“It’s the first camo thing I’ve ever bought in my 72 years of life,” Cherveny said adding when she saw camouflage gear before she thought of Second Amendment activists but decided to buy this hat because of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz .

“When I saw Tim wearing this and talk about being a hunter, having respect for guns, and what he’s done in his state, I thought ‘I’ll get a camo hat like Tim’s,’” Cherveny said.

Lonchar and the other family members have been big Biden supporters “but I felt like I was always talking people into being on board,” but having Harris at the top of the ticket has injected new enthusiasm.

“I feel like we’re back in ‘O8. I feel like it’s Obama again,” Lonchar said. “I’m just so energized and so excited now for the first time in a really long time.”

— Ricardo Torres

Kamala Harris purses for sale

If you're at a political rally, you have to get the merch.

Kamala Harris handbags and clutches were for sale outside her rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Small group of Trump supporters protest outside Kamala Harris rally

A group of at least six Trump supporters held up signs outside of the rally at the corner of Juneau and Vel Phillips avenues as hundreds of people made their way into the Fiserv Forum. This small group and the rally-goers seemed to ignore each other.

One woman in the group held up a Trump campaign sign, while another held up a homemade sign that said "Czar Kamala, weak on the border." A man in the group brought at least four signs and was alternating holding them up, including one that said: "Kamala voted for higher prices." —

A younger man, who may not have been with this group, was walking around the Fiserv Forum plaza — just outside the fence where the rally-goers were waiting to go inside — waving a large Trump flag.

— Claire Reid

Doors open for Kamala Harris rally

Doors opened at Fiserv Forum for the Kamala Harris around 3:45 p.m.. People waiting in the plaza cheered when the doors opened.

Security opened a third entrance in the center of the Deer District around 4 p.m. with the line moving significantly quicker than the north and south entrances.

Before, the general admission line to get into Fiserv Forum extended down Juneau Avenue from Vel Phillips to King Drive. Then it continued around the block at least to Highland.

— Bridget Fogarty and Claire Reid

Supporters say Kamala Harris brings hope and new energy

Green Bay high school students Ziah Mangan and Sophia Arneson, both 17, were among the at-least-hundreds of people gathered outside Fiserv Forum ahead of tonight's rally.

Although the incoming seniors can’t vote in the election, they said being here is “inspiring.” They purchased Harris/Walz baseball caps from a merch table outside Mader’s restaurant before lining up to get inside Fiserv Forum.

“It’s inspiring to see a woman who’s a minority running for president,” Arneson said.

She said, though she’s seen a female candidate in her lifetime, Hillary Clinton didn’t “inspire as much hope and enthusiasm” as Harris.

Both Arneson and Mangan said they wished they could vote and they’re trying to inspire their classmates who are already 18.

“I think you don’t realize how much it means until you see (a woman) running,” Arneson said.Married couple Gillian Blake and Charley Blake traveled from Madison to attend the rally.“I want to be part of this history,” Gillian said. “I felt like I was so depressed, and then Kamala ran and my hopes were raised so high. I haven’t felt this way since Obama ran.”

Charley said the couple was “nervous” when Biden was running because they didn’t know if he could beat Trump. As a lesbian couple, they worried how a Trump victory could affect them, their daughters, and one of their children who is transgender.

“I feel like I don’t have to leave the country maybe,” Gillian said. She said she’d “really considered” emigrating prior to Harris' nomination.

— Claire Reid

University of Chicago-led survey asks Milwaukee rally-goers at Kamala Harris event their feelings on democracy

How do Americans view the state of their country’s democracy?

That’s the question University of Chicago professor Robert Pape and his two research assistants hope to answer in their survey they passed out to rally goers in the Deer District.

Pape said as soon as he learned about Tuesday’s rally, he made plans to drive from Chicago to Milwaukee to survey. Milwaukee’s Harris Walz rally is the first of many Democratic and Republican rallies the group plans to bring their survey to before November.

The survey can help gauge whether the newfound positivity Democrats have with Kamala Harris running for president is making people feel more comfortable overall with elections, Pape said.

“It’s clear they’re more enthusiastic about voting, but what does that mean overall about our democracy? What does that mean overall about their politics?” he said.

— Bridget Fogarty

Madison Marine stands with Kamala Harris, Tim Walz

Marine Michael Skaer of Madison, who was in the military for roughly 30 years, was excited for the rally in Milwaukee.

He was wearing a Marines shirt and hat.

Skaer looked out to the crowd waiting to get inside Fiserv Forum and said “I’m guessing they’re going to fill this place tonight.”

“The enthusiasm since Joe Biden decided to step aside… it’s just turned 180 degrees around,” Skaer said. “I’m sure it was hard for him, very hard. Looking at his legacy and his long career, but after that debate performance it was just painfully obvious he just wasn’t up to the job for another four years.”

Skaer said he was an active duty Marine in 1978 to 1983 and joined the National Guard from 1983 to 2009, and did one tour in Iraq in 2006.

Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance has criticized Harris’ running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, accusing him of “stolen valor” for getting out of the military before his unit was deployed to Iraq.

“I don’t buy it all,” Skaer said of Vance’s claims. “He made it very clear to his fellow members that he was going to run for Congress… he already had his 20+ years of service in, so it wasn’t like he was planning on staying in the service for a few years and found out the unit was going to Iraq and jumped out. I don’t buy it.”

Skaer said Republicans do better with veterans and military personnel.

“I’ve been different my whole military career,” Skaer said. “I made it through 30 years... I’ve always been different. I don’t own any handguns or weapons at all, which a lot of my fellow members thought I was insane.”

Skaer is a Harris supporter “100%.”

“Trump, we went through four years of him and the thought of him for another four years is just really, really scary,” Skaer said.

— Ricardo Torres

Wisconsin continues to be in political spotlight as Kamala Harris comes to Milwaukee during DNC

Dan Weiner from Appleton made the drive to Milwaukee to see Kamala Harris for her rally tonight at Fiserv Forum.

“It’s such a unique election year,” Weiner said. “I want to be a part of history. I think it’s time and I think it would be a neat thing for America to elect a female (for president).”

Weiner said he “leans left” and for him “human decency” in a candidate is important.

“As president, you have to be professional, and I don’t see that on the other side,” Weiner said adding having this rally during the DNC “shows how important Wisconsin is going to be.”

“A lot of pundits are saying the road to the White House is going to go through Wisconsin,” Weiner said. “I agree with it. It’s important and it’s kind of cool for Wisconsin to be that vital for Wisconsinites no matter what side you’re on.”

— Ricardo Torres

Seeing Kamala Harris at Milwaukee rally is like being able to attend the DNC

Jennifer Buda from Milwaukee came to the Kamala Harris rally with her daughter “just to experience it.

“Never been to a campaign thing before,” Buda said. “I’m just going to absorb it all in.”

Buda said she is a Democrat and is hoping to learn more about Harris.

“I’m an apolitical person,” Buda said adding she will likely vote for Harris.

Buda said attending the rally with her daughter makes the experience sweeter.

“It’s nice that we can be here together and have Milwaukee be recognized again,” Buda said. “For us, it’s something cool to do.”

When the Republican National Convention was in Milwaukee she avoided the area but having this event during the Democratic National Convention is “very exciting.”

“People who, obviously, would never have gone to the DNC are able to come here and experience seeing her and Mr. Walz,” Buda said.

— Ricardo Torres

Kamala Harris rally: Line outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

Here's a look at the line to get into the Kamala Harris rally about 90 minutes before the doors open.

— Ricardo Torres

Kamala Harris tickets for Milwaukee rally

The Kamala Harris rally in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum is free and open to the public but you'll need a ticket to get in.

Tickets are only available online via the Democratic Party of Wisconsin . You'll be notified if you've been selected.

Registration does not guarantee a ticket.

After Harris' speech, the Democratic nominee and her running mate Tim Walz will host a DNC watch party at Fiserv Forum. The featured speakers on Tuesday at the DNC are former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

— Chris Kuhagen

Kamala Harris' rally will feature Milwaukee Bucks

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will hold a rally in the arena that the Milwaukee Bucks call home.

And a couple of representatives from the Bucks will reportedly be in attendance to welcome them.

Bucks all-star forward Khris Middleton and team president Peter Feigin are set to join Harris and Walz at the rally, The Hill reported.

Harris is set to speak at 7 p.m.

— Chris Kuhagen

JD Vance wraps up speech, visits Tenuta's Deli in Kenosha

After addressing the crowd and answering questions from local and national reporters, Vance wrapped up his Kenosha visit and made a surprise stop at Tenuta's Deli. He ordered an Italian beef sandwich with provolone cheese.

Questions touched at the rally were the importance of Wisconsin in the November election, the value of law enforcement endorsements, gun restrictions, labor union support, debate preparation and the programming of the Democratic National Convention 70 miles south in Chicago.

— Jessie Opoien

JD Vance calls Chicago, site of Democratic National Convention, a 'combat zone'

When Vance was asked for his initial reactions to the DNC’s programming, several members of the crowd booed.

“I agree with them. That was my response to it … ‘boo,’” Vance said.

The Ohio senator blamed Democrats for Chicago’s high murder rate and reiterated an attack on Walz’s 2005 retirement from the military before his battalion's deployment to Iraq.

“My little theory about why they decided to have the convention in Chicago is … Tim Walz has been going around saying that he served in war, and maybe they did it in Chicago so they could actually, accurately say that he went, he visited a combat zone,” Vance said.

— Jessie Opoien

JD Vance references upbringing in support for police

Vance accused Democrats of proposing policies that would “take away every child's right to public safety” while referencing his own upbringing with a mother addicted to drugs.

“I remember, actually, I think I was probably 11 or 12 years old, and my mom struggled with addiction, and she was having a particularly tough episode, and I called the local police in Middletown, Ohio," Vance said. "And I remember they showed up and they took care of my mom, and they made a little kid who was terrified of what was going on in his home. They made that little kid feel safe.

"And I think about what situation would I have been in, and what situation our country would be in, if we take away every child's right to public safety. And that's, unfortunately, what the Democratic leadership is proposing in this country.”

Both Vance and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde referenced Harris’ previous comments saying the “defund the police” movement was rightly questioning budget priorities in a 2020 radio interview as the country saw a national movement for police reform. Harris later denounced such calls.

— Jessie Opoien

JD Vance says he 'basically lives in Wisconsin now'

JD Vance opened his remarks in Kenosha talking about childhood safety and the importance of Wisconsin to the election.“I basically live in Wisconsin now," Vance said. "You’ll be seeing a lot of me over the next few months.

After someone in the crowd yelled, “Go Packers!” Vance responded, “I’d have see about that, sir.”

— Rachel Hale

Rep. Bryan Steil attacks Tim Walz’s handling of Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil bashed Walz’s handling of Black Lives Matter protests during 2020 and reflected on Kenosha’s unrest during the same period. Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and injured by a police officer in Kenosha that August.“We can look to our neighboring state in Minnesota, and just like we had here, you have a governor that failed to provide the resources that were needed to keep his community safe,” Steil said.

Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Walz and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, for their responses to civil unrest in 2020, and has focused in particular on the use of the National Guard.

Governors can call the National Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies.

On Aug. 24, 2020, Evers activated the Guard, less than 24 hours after Blake was shot. The Trump administration talked to Evers on Aug. 25, 2020, according to previous Journal Sentinel reporting .

Walz mobilized the Guard on May 28, 2020, after civil unrest turned violent and a police station was burned following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. At the time, Trump praised Walz's handling of the situation, the Associated Press reported .

In a USA TODAY fact check of similar claims about Walz's actions during the Minneapolis protests, Michelle Phelps , a University of Minnesota sociology professor and the author of a book about policing in Minneapolis that examines the protests, said:

“To say that he let Minnesota or Minneapolis burn is just a wild misconstruing of the facts," Phelps said. “It was a response to a really unusual set of circumstances, and I think they responded as fast as was reasonably possible, given the scale of the operation."

More: GOP critics say Tim Walz 'let Minnesota burn' in 2020 protests. Here's what happened

— Rachel Hale and Mary Spicuzza

Eric Hovde seeks to tie Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s record to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde railed against Harris’ record on crime and sought to tie her to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in his opening remarks, bashing Harris’ time as a district attorney and California attorney general. He said he would give her “an F” on “being border czar” and said Baldwin is no better, bringing up her record of voting with President Joe Biden 99% of the time.

“We've got a perfect trifecta, the most liberal senator, Kamala Harris; Governor Walz, who let his major city burn, considered the most liberal governor; and Senator Tammy Baldwin, who is voted the second-most-liberal senator and has been nothing but a progressive rubber stamp for the progressive left,” Hovde said.

A fact-check story by PolitiFact notes that Biden didn't put Harris in charge of overseeing border security. Instead, Biden asked Harris to work with officials in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to stem migration to the U.S.

— Rachel Hale

More: 'Border czar'? Kamala Harris assigned to tackle immigration's causes, not border security

Kamala Harris rally attendees outside Fiserv Forum Tuesday morning

Even though the Harris-Walz rally isn't starting until Tuesday night, some attendees made their way to Fiserv Forum Tuesday morning, hours before the doors open.

"I'm looking forward to listening to (Harris') positive message," Debi Babula of Franklin said. "I think we need more of that."

A couple from Appleton sported matching blue shirts in support for Harris.

"We're mostly excited to hear her talk," Brittani Wydeven said. "There is so much energy behind her and her campaign."

Wydeven said having Harris in Milwaukee Tuesday is especially meaningful since the convention is in Chicago.

"It means a lot. We're in a battleground state, and to know that she's here during the DNC," Wydeven said. "Now we feel hope."

Marla Poytinger, CEO of Bars & Recreation, which has two Deer District bars, said after a successful Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum, she's also excited to welcome the Democrats to Milwaukee.

She said AXE MKE and The New Fashioned outside Fiserv Forum will host a watch party on the TV screens.

"Everybody is excited to show that we welcome everyone, both the RNC and the DNC," Poytinger said.

— Jolan Kruse

Crowd of 100 gathers in anticipation of JD Vance’s remarks

A crowd of about 100 supporters has gathered in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse in anticipation of Vance’s press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Remarks from U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, Rep. Bryan Steil and Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner are set to begin shortly.

— Rachel Hale

JD Vance to speak Tuesday in Kenosha at press conference

First up Tuesday is Vance returning to Wisconsin for the third week in a row for a press conference in Kenosha focused on crime.

The trip is Vance's third to Wisconsin in as many weeks and comes as he continues to shadow visits from Harris and Walz.

Vance spoke to reporters in Eau Claire on Aug. 7 as Harris and Walz rallied just miles up the road. And he delivered remarks on crime and immigration Friday at the Milwaukee Police Association, which endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket.

Read more

— Lawrence Andrea

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz in Milwaukee tonight, long lines to get into Fiserv Forum: live updates