CHICAGO (AP) — Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton are headlining the Democratic National Convention's third day on Wednesday, as the party hopes to build on the momentum that Kamala Harris has brought since joining the race a month ago.

Walz, the Minnesota governor who has become known among supporters as a folksy, Midwestern teacher, football coach and dad, will introduce himself to the rest of the country. He's also become the target of Republican criticism over how he's portrayed his National Guard service and his personal story.

Organizers have dubbed Wednesday night "a fight for our freedoms," with the programming expected to focus on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to center in their campaign against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will speak along with "everyday Americans" whom convention organizers describe as people who will argue their freedoms hinge on the result of the upcoming election.

Mini Timmaraju, president of the national reproductive rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, highlighted states including Florida, Arizona and Montana that will have voter referendums in November on protecting abortion access at a state level.

"The people will get to have their say this November," she said.

Also expected onstage are music icon Stevie Wonder and legendary talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who gave a critical endorsement of then-Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Country music star Maren Morris and poet Amanda Gorman were also performing and an appearance by comedian Kenan Thompson was planned.

Clinton is the nation's 42nd president and a veteran of his party's political convention going back decades.

"In 2024, we have a clear choice: 'We The People' versus 'Me, Myself, and I," Clinton plans to say, according to early excerpts of his address. He will also say that "Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race with the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will and yes — the sheer joy — to do that on good and bad days. To be our voice."

Wednesday's program also includes two governors, Wes Moore of Maryland and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and 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 demonstrate that they have a large number of future potential contenders beyond Harris, and that includes others who have gotten huge cheers while appearing throughout the week at the convention, like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

'Coach Walz' takes the stage

Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris chose him to join her ticket. In his first weeks of campaigning, he's charmed supporters with his background as a teacher and football coach and helped to balance Harris' coastal background as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.

But Walz also has faced scrutiny, including questions about embellishing his background. His wife this week clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a 2018 comment he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.

Still, polling data shows that despite early hiccups, Walz has had a smoother launch as Harris' running mate than Republican JD Vance, Trump's pick for vice president.

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

Walz will use his primetime address to speak in depth about his time growing up in Nebraska, his National Guard service, his work as a teacher and coach and his time in Congress before he was elected governor two years ago. Ahead of his appearance on stage, John Legend is set to perform a tribute to Prince, who hails form Minnesota and whose work Walz routinely celebrates.

Moving on from an exuberant Tuesday

The week in Chicago's United Center — normally home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks — has been a balancing act for Harris and other Democrats. They want to harness the exuberance that has swept over their party since President Joe Biden stepped aside, while also making clear to their supporters that the election will be a fierce fight.

It might be hard, however, to match the energy of the convention's Tuesday night session, which toggled between lighthearted celebration and more serious warnings. A symbolic roll call vote turned into a dance party, featuring surprise musical acts like Lil Jon, who performed "Turn Down for What," his song with DJ Snake.

But former President Barack Obama also conveyed a more sober message in his keynote speech after the roll call, saying, "Make no mistake, it will be a fight."

"So much is on the line in this election," Harris said Tuesday in Milwaukee, where she spoke at a professional basketball arena in battleground Wisconsin as the convention continued 90 miles away in Chicago. "And understand, this is not 2016 or 2020. The stakes are higher."

Harris is in Chicago, but doesn't plan to head to the United Center to watch Walz's speech in person.

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