By james art 
With early voting underway, the Carolinas were no doubt on the mind of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz Thursday night when he took the stage at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater.
The underlying theme, even amid the excitement, was that there was much at stake with less than two weeks until Election Day. Waltz aimed to leave voters feeling confident about a number of plans he said the Harris-Waltz administration would push through. These include reproductive rights advocacy, small business support, and more.
The event also featured a performance by Grammy Award-winning musician James Taylor. Before singing numerous classics, including “Carolina in My Mind,” Taylor said she was proud that North Carolina was “able to save the country.”
“We don’t have time to wander,” he said. “We have to get to work.”
“We must get to work”: James Taylor gets the crowd moving at Tim Walz’s rally in Wilmington
Attendees included a majority of Wilmington residents with visitors scattered in the mix, but they all packed into the venue’s 1,200 seats, excited to hear the Minnesota governor speak.
They noted that advocacy for reproductive rights, public education, the environment, access to health care, and the restoration of democracy are the reasons they support Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper took the stage to introduce and show their support for Walz. Cooper addressed the devastation in western North Carolina, noting that the Cape Fear region is also familiar with major flooding. He assured those present that the state will continue to provide support to those affected by Helen.
But even with Mother Nature’s impact, Cooper said, “we can’t let Donald Trump back into the White House.”
Saffo reminded the audience that “the road to the White House runs straight through the state of North Carolina and ‘specifically Wilmington.’
Tim Walz in Wilmington: Rally Highlights with James Taylor
“Coach! coach! Coach!” the crowd chanted, welcoming the former public school teacher and high school football coach to the stage shortly after 6:30 p.m. Walz followed up with “never underestimate a public school teacher.”
Waltz said he and Kamala’s team “work like it’s all on the line, mainly because it’s all on the line.”
Waltz cited former Trump chief of staff John Kelly’s warning that Trump would rule like a dictator.
“He wants to weaponize our democratic institutions against you, the American people, sure as hell against me,” Waltz said. “But it’s against anyone who disagrees with it. That’s what he’s trying to do, folks, but there’s no guardrails around him this time,” Waltz said. “They are completely gone.”
Waltz reminded the audience that the Harris-Waltz administration would bring 100 million Americans into the middle class by getting tax cuts and a $6,000 child tax credit. He also included that he and Harris want to extend the $35 cap on insulin that goes to seniors.
He also noted that small businesses, not large corporations, would receive funding and $50,000 in tax credits.
Waltz appealed to any independent or even Republican voters in the crowd, saying the Republican Party is not what it used to be. He said the old party used to talk about freedom and mean it, but now they don’t.
He addressed a hot-button issue among Republicans, which is the right to bear arms. He said he and Harris are both gun owners, but “having a gun doesn’t mean you can’t be in favor of common sense solutions to keep our kids safe.”
Although he said Trump is bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade, women’s lives are at risk because states are left to make the decision. He promised to reinstate Roe v. Wade if he and Harris were elected. He told the men in the audience: “Think about the women in your life, the ones you love, daughters, wives, mothers, neighbors, their lives are literally at stake in this election.”
New Hanover County Board of Education candidate Tim Merrick, who attended the rally, emphasized the importance of the Harris-Waltz administration because of their plans to support public education. Merrick noted that New Hanover County schools in particular cannot afford to lose federal funding.
Merrick said the main thing he was looking for, and he believes other voters were looking for as well, was the authenticity he thought voters would see in Waltz’s visit. Through his own school board campaign, he said voters really want to see that the person they’re voting for is real and genuine.
Other prominent Democrats are visiting North Carolina to secure presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ seat in the White House. Most recently, former President Bill Clinton spoke to voters at the Prost Biergarten in downtown Wilmington. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff also spoke recently at Casa Blanca Roasters.
more: Former President Bill Clinton says Harris has ‘practical solutions’ during Wilmington visit
more: Donald Trump talks about border security and the economy at a rally in Wilmington
But Republicans have also made the port city a priority with two planned Trump events. Although he missed the first one in April due to bad weather, Trump held another rally in September. Just under a week ago, his teammate JD Vance traveled to Wilmington to meet at the Aero Center as well.
With Election Day less than two weeks away, the pressure is on as the Tar Heel State remains one of the keys to victory. Recent polls have Trump and Harris neck and neck, with Trump leading by 2 percentage points in one poll and Harris leading by 2 to 3 percentage points in another.
“We believe in this country; we believe in the promise. We believe in our neighbors,” Waltz said. “We just have to go out and fight for it.”
This article originally appeared on the Wilmington StarNews: Governor Tim Waltz speaks at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, with James Taylor