Democrats hope Tim Walz will help win votes in rural communities

WEST POINT, Nebraska (KMTV) – It's incredible what a difference just a few weeks can make.

A month ago, there was chaos on the Democratic ticket.

Biden was helpless after his poor performance in the debate, and Harris' future as his vice president was in jeopardy.

But now that a confirmed candidate and a Nebraska-born vice president are on the ballot, the rough waters appear to be calming for the Democrats.

“For rural voters, this is the first time we have someone who really knows us. We don't need to hand them a briefing book or a Carhartt T-shirt, Governor Walz has all of those in abundance. He knows the issues that matter to us, from rural schools to national origin labeling,” said Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

Tim Walz may be best known for his time as governor of Minnesota, but he spent his early years in small towns across Nebraska.

Walz was born in West Point and his family later moved to Valentine and then to Butte, where Walz graduated from high school.

After a stint in the National Guard, Walz returned to Nebraska to earn a teaching degree from Chadron State University. He spent his early years teaching in Alliance, where he met his wife, Gwen.

Many people in rural Nebraska are familiar with this approach, and Kleeb is confident it will resonate with voters in small towns.

“We're now expanding the map. It's no longer just about East Coast and West Coast parties. We're targeting the middle of America,” Kleeb said.

However, it will take a lot of work to win over these voters from rural areas.

We spoke to four different people in downtown West Point, all of whom declined to appear on camera. One of them cited concerns about liberal media bias. But all of them told us off-camera that they were strong Trump supporters and that Walz's election would not change that.

But Kleeb is confident that this could change as people learn more about Walz.

“Governor Walz knows rural people. He comes from rural America and has never forgotten his roots. We believe the state of Nebraska is in play, but so are other states in the Midwest and rural areas,” Kleeb said.

Now that they have their votes, Democrats can turn their attention to the upcoming election campaign.

This message, says Kleeb, is simple.

“We are not going to get stuck in this 1980s culture war that Republicans want to keep us in, constantly talking about fear and hate. We have a message of hope and love and we believe that with that we will defeat hate and fear,” Kleeb said.