“I'm excited for the joy that Harris and Walz are bringing to this campaign,” attendee Mary Ann Shadle said.

The event began at 5:30 p.m. and was full of Harris-Walz supporters. Blue decor filled the American flag-draped walls. Loud pop music pumped through the room, filling the air with the songs of Pitbull and Chappell Roan.

“I’m excited for this event because I think character matters,” attendee Jo Fuller said.

John Giles, the longtime mayor of Mesa, was the first of Walz’s three guests to speak in anticipation of Walz’s remarks.

“I’m a lifelong Republican,” Giles said.

While he held this fact to be true, he emphasized that he believes loyalty to one’s country is vastly more important than party identification. Giles invited the audience to “look at the stark contrast” between Vice President Harris and former President Trump.

Julia Alexander, Deputy Organizing Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, then took the stage. She expressed her excitement about the number of Harris-Walz supporters that attended the rally and said that the campaign has 56 days to “make it happen,” referring to the upcoming November election.

Edmundo Meraz, owner of local Mesa small business República Empanada, then said that small businesses like his “are the backbone of this economy.” His statement was a throughline in Walz’s speech, emphasizing the importance of community in the national economy.

Walz ran enthusiastically on stage to the tune of John Mellencamp’s “Small Town”. He began his remarks with praise for Arizona, calling the state “Mark Kelly’s national treasure.”

“He just seems like a very down-to-earth guy,” said Carol McMillian, a member of Moms Demand Action.

Shortly after Walz began his speech, a pro-Palestinian protestor began to scream and wave a Palestinian flag from the middle of the crowd. She was largely unintelligible, but mentioned that she believes Walz is part of a campaign “that is paying for a genocide.” The Walz supporters in the crowd surrounding her began to chant “USA” repeatedly over her screams, and Walz continued his speech without interruption.

The protestor was swiftly escorted out of the building by members of event security, including the Secret Service. After the event, four additional protestors were seen outside the convention center.

After the protestor was escorted from the event, Walz spoke on the topic of healthcare. He said that he believes former President Trump will ban abortion access without the permission or involvement of Congress.

Walz also mentioned the recent school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. He said that the beginning of a school year “should be a time of excitement, of hope.” He took ownership of the Democratic party’s response to the shooting, saying that he would not allow Republicans to connect debates about the Second Amendment to the shooting.

Walz emphasized the importance of the 56 days leading up to the election and the opportunity those days represent.

“Don’t sleep for 56 days when you have the chance to make a change,” Walz said.