The Democratic Party Convention enters its third day with Tim Walz and Bill Clinton and focuses on the “Fight for Our Freedoms”

CHICAGO (AP) — Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton headline the third day of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, as the party hopes to build on the momentum Kamala Harris has brought since entering the race a month ago.

Walz, the Minnesota governor who has become known among his supporters as a folksy Midwestern teacher, football coach and father, will introduce himself to the rest of the country. He has also become a target of criticism from Republicans for the way he has portrayed his service in the National Guard and his personal history.

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Organizers have billed Wednesday night as a “battle for our freedoms.” The program is expected to focus on abortion access and other rights that Democrats are seeking to make central to their campaign against Republican candidate Donald Trump. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will speak, along with “ordinary Americans,” whom convention organizers describe as people who will argue that their freedoms depend on the outcome of the upcoming election.

Mini Timmaraju, president of the national reproductive rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, pointed to states like Florida, Arizona and Montana that will hold referendums in November on protecting access to abortion at the state level.

“People will be able to have their say this November,” she said.

Also expected to take the stage are music icon Stevie Wonder and legendary talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who was a critical supporter of then-Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Country music star Maren Morris and poet Amanda Gorman will also perform, and a performance by comedian Kenan Thompson is planned.

Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States and a member of his party's conventions for decades.

“In 2024, we have a clear choice: 'We the people' versus 'Me, myself, and I,'” Clinton will say, according to early excerpts from his speech. He will also say that “Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race who has the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will, and yes – the sheer joy – to do that on good days and bad. To be our voice.”

Also on Wednesday's schedule are two governors, Wes Moore of Maryland and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as well as several Democratic senators: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

Democrats are trying to show that they have a wide range of potential future contenders besides Harris, including others who received widespread acclaim during their appearances during convention week, such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

“Coach Walz” enters the stage

Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris chose him for her candidacy. In the early weeks of his campaign, he charmed supporters with his background as a teacher and football coach, helping Harris balance her coastal background as a cultural representative of the Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.

But Walz has also come under scrutiny, in part for whitewashing his past. His wife clarified this week that she did not undergo IVF, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but had used other fertility treatments. Republicans also criticized Walz for a 2018 remark about carrying weapons in war. Although he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he was never deployed to a war zone.

Still, polling data shows that despite initial difficulties, Walz had a smoother start as Harris' running mate than Republican JD Vance, Trump's nominee for vice president.

About a third of U.S. adults (36%) have a favorable opinion of Walz, while about a quarter (27%) have a favorable opinion of Vance, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Significantly more adults have an unfavorable opinion of Vance than of Walz, 44% to 25%.

Walz will use his prime-time speech to talk at length about his childhood in Nebraska, his service in the National Guard, his work as a teacher and coach, and his time in Congress before being elected governor two years ago. Before his appearance on stage, John Legend will deliver a tribute to Prince, a Minnesota native whose work Walz regularly recognizes.

A fun Tuesday

The week at Chicago's United Center – normally home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks – has been a balancing act for Harris and other Democrats, who are trying to capitalize on the exuberance that has swept their party since President Joe Biden's resignation while also making it clear to their supporters that the election will be a bitter fight.

But it would be hard to match the energy of Tuesday night's convention session, which oscillated between lighthearted celebration and more serious warnings. A symbolic vote turned into a dance party with surprise appearances like Lil Jon performing “Turn Down for What,” his song with DJ Snake.

But former President Barack Obama also delivered a more sober message in his keynote speech after the vote: “Make no mistake, it's going to be a fight.”

“There is so much at stake in this election,” Harris said Tuesday in Milwaukee, where she was speaking at a professional basketball arena in the battleground state of Wisconsin while the party convention continued 90 miles away in Chicago. “And understand, this is not 2016 or 2020. There is more at stake.”

Harris is in Chicago but does not plan to go to the United Center to hear Walz's speech in person.

Associated Press writers Ali Swenson in New York and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.