EAGAN, Minn. — Sporting “Coach Walz” hats and “I liked Tim Walz before it was cool” T-shirts, a crowd of roughly 400 at Eagan High School on Friday erupted in cheers when Gov. Tim Walz entered the room.

“I don’t know about you but I’ve definitely had a week,” Walz joked. “But it’s great to be home.”

The speaking event at Eagan High School on Friday, Nov. 8, was Walz’s first time addressing Minnesotans since Tuesday night’s loss, which solidified his return to his home state.

Walz started his speech by thanking his family, friends, staff, Minnesotans and Vice President Kamala Harris, “For the faith she put in me, but, more importantly, for the powerful and joyful campaign that she ran.

“I’m forever grateful for her friendship,” Walz said.

‘It’s hard to lose’

Walz also acknowledged the loss to Donald Trump, and how the defeat has been difficult to face on several fronts.

“It’s hard. It’s hard to lose, it’s hard to understand why so many of our fellow citizens, people that we have fought so long and hard for, wound up choosing the other path,” Walz said. “And it’s hard to reckon with what that path looks like over the next four years.”

But Walz said that even after this loss, he has “never felt more inspired.” He said that after all his time across the country campaigning, he has never felt more “fired up”.

“I’ve gotten to see an awful lot of America over the last three months, more than I ever thought I was going to see,” Walz said. “I made many new friends. I’ve learned a lot of new things. I ate way too much local food … I can order donuts, people.”

Walz said that in his time campaigning, he would often tout Minnesota laws like paid family leave, free meals for kids, reproductive rights protection and prescription drug cost cuts.

“When I told that story across the country, you could see people saying, ‘Where is this magical place?’…” Walz said. “And then someone would have to say, ‘It gets cold.’”

Walz, who has two years left in his term, said that as long as he’s governor, he will continue to fight for climate change and democracy and that Minnesota will always be a “labor state.”

“A state that stands for working people no matter who they voted for,” Walz said. “About one and a half million of our fellow Minnesotans voted for the other side of this election. And while there might not be a place in our state for the most extreme elements of that agenda, there should be a place in our politics for everyone to be heard.”

First Lady of Minnesota Gwen Walz spoke to the crowd ahead of her husband.

“I think now that the election is over, we can take a quick nap, but after that, after that, we know this: We are getting right back to work,” Gwen Walz said.

Gwen Walz mirrored Walz’s remarks that she wants “the fight” in Minnesota to continue.

“Losing stings. It’s okay to feel sad and scared and a little surprised, if I’m being honest, and to give yourself the grace to grieve what could have been,” Gwen Walz said, “Now, more than ever, that important work continues because we have a responsibility to keep this haven, this special place in Minnesota, safe and inclusive and strong because our neighbors.”

A bittersweet homecoming

The crowd was filled with family, friends and prominent Minnesota figures like Rep. Betty McCollum, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Several Minnesota lawmakers also attended the address.

Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, said he was the first lawmaker who endorsed Walz for office. Carlson said that Walz’s time on the national stage may affect the amount of pushback he receives from Republicans in the Legislature.

“He has the national attention,” Carlson said. “So I think when they criticize him, … I think they may be a little bit softer in their criticism.”

Megan Dayton from St. Paul came to watch Walz’s remarks on Friday. Dayton says she went to D.C. for the Harris-Walz watch party.

“I was really, I think maybe even naively hopeful that they would win our first female president, and then we would have a female governor, Native American Governor here in Minnesota, and watching him come back, I think I’m I’m mostly anxious about what comes next, which is why I’m here,” Dayton said. “I’m anxious to know what we’re going to do to protect Minnesota’s ability to be this island of democracy in the middle of a sea of taking away people’s rights.”

Dayton says it was “awesome” seeing Walz on a national scale, and that she feels Walz gave people hope.

“I think he represented Minnesota well, and he kind of showed the rest of the country who we are,” Dayton said. “I felt like it was inspirational for the rest of the nation. He was, you know, America’s dad for a little while, and it was really cool to share him with the rest of the country.”

Matt Dayton, also from St. Paul, said Walz coming back home feels “bittersweet.”

“I appreciate that he’s still our governor, coming back home, but I would have liked to see him be our vice president,” Dayton said.

The road ahead

Toward the end of Walz’s speech, he gave a call to action to the crowd: To swallow their pride, not pass judgment and to work harder to find common ground “with our neighbors” who voted differently.

“When the campaign signs come down and we all get a little break with the rhetoric and the TV ads and the fundraising texts … and I’m sorry about those …” Walz joked. “We’ll be able to look at each other and see not enemies, but neighbors. And you’ll be able to sit down over coffee or a Diet Mountain Dew and just talk about our kids, talk about the lives we want to build for them.”

Walz ended his speech by saying he’s excited to keep making Minnesota and example for the rest of the country.

‘I love this state, I love this job, and I’m not done fighting for Minnesota, not by a long shot,’ Walz said.

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