Former United States President Barack Obama held a rally on the University of Arizona campus Friday, Oct. 18 at the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center located at 640 N National Championship Dr.

The former head of state’s message to the hundreds of community members gathered at the center? Vote.

Obama emphasized the importance of voting and voter education. When his mention of former President Donald Trump was met with boos from the crowd, Obama responded: “Don’t boo. Vote. They can’t hear you when you boo, but when you vote everybody can hear you.”

Obama praised Vice President Kamala Harris and Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz while criticizing the division former President Trump has sowed.

“Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them, between the ‘real Americans’, by which he means his supporters and the outsiders who don’t support him, because having people divided and aggrieved and resentful, he figures that boosts his chances of being elected[…],” Obama said. “We have had enough of arrogance and bumbling and bluster and division […] we are ready for President Kamala Harris.”

Obama also acknowledged the existing frustrations of people across the country that are impacting the issues and outcomes of this election.

“We know this election is going to be tight and it’s going to be tight because a lot of Americans are struggling right now […] in a lot of ways, it feels like the aspirations of working people have taken a backseat to the priorities of the rich and the powerful and the well connected,” Obama said.

Other speakers at the rally included Verlon Jose, Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation; Tucson Mayor Regina Romero; Rep. Kirsten Engel, CD-06; Senator Mark Kelly; Former Rep. Gabby Giffords; Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Rep. Ruben Gallego.

Jose opened the rally with a message about the significance of this event and this election.

“The timing of Obama’s visit and this election has never been more important for Arizona, for the country and for the world,” Jose said.

Gallego, who is running for Senate, also emphasized the urgency of this historical moment.

“There’s a lot at stake in this election,” Gallego said. “Cutting costs for our families, protecting abortion rights and defending our democracy, all of that and more is on the ballot this year.”

Concern about “Project 2025,” a 900-page policy guideline for the next Republican President that implements ultra-conservative policies, was a common thread in the speeches preceding Obama’s.

“Together, we can stop Trump’s Project 2025 agenda that serves, as far as I can tell, no other purpose than to give Trump unchecked power to raise our taxes, ban abortion nationwide, and take our country backwards. But guess what Arizona? We aren’t going back,” Engel said.

“Trump’s Project 2025 agenda will harm every single person you care about,” Romero said.

The former President praised Harris’ tax plan and her plans to lower healthcare and housing costs.

“Concrete plans. That is who Kamala is,” Obama said. “Kamala is going to give a tax cut to 100 million working class people in America.”

Voters of all backgrounds came to see the former President speak in Tucson, motivated by a variety of concerns, from abortion rights, to gun control to the integrity of the United States’ democratic institutions.

Alexandra Reynoso, a student at the UA, was compelled to support the Harris campaign in large part because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ stance on gun control, an issue Reynoso said is especially relevant to UA student voters.

“I’m really excited to see her bring into effect things like abortion […] and also gun control because that’s really needed in this country,” Reynoso said. “We recently had a shooting on campus, it was very scary, it was right near my dorm, and so her stance on gun control is very important to me because I don’t want to keep coming to school and feeling unsafe just because people feel like they have to be armed in order to protect themselves or fight.”

Other attendees cited the preservation of democracy as one of the most important topics in the Nov. 5 Presidential election.

“The most important issue right now is preserving our democratic institution. We never had a situation like this where one person can wantonly say ‘ I want to destroy this and I am going to destroy that,’” said Frank Larby, a UA alumnus from the class of 1985.

Abortion is another issue driving Harris supporters to the polls. In addition to Harris’ track record as a strong pro-choice candidate, Arizona voters will also be asked to vote on Proposition 139, which if passed, would enshrine abortion as a right in the Arizona State Constitution.

“Prop 139 is really important, it impacts so many people in ways that we don’t think about. People need to vote, people need to vote conclusively, so that sentiment goes back to where it belongs,” Larby said.

Obama touched on the abortion debate in his speech, emphasizing the importance of freedom as a component of these arguments.

“Even on the most contentious issues, I always said there are good people of conscience on both sides of the abortion divide, and I respect anybody whose faith tells them that it’s not something they would do, that they support,” Obama said. “But if we believe in freedom, then we should at least agree that such a deeply personal decision should be made by the woman whose body is involved […] And here in Arizona, you don’t even have to wait. Abortions actually on the ballot right here. You have a chance to vote yes on [Proposition] 139.”

Attendees also commented on a shift in the energy of the Democratic Party following Harris’ nomination.

“I think it’s really great that there’s so many people energized and coming together,” Nuno said. “Hopefully I think a Black woman representing our country would of course be a first, but I think it makes it so that a lot of people are more excited and passionate about creating change.”

Obama concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of having civil conversations with people across the aisle, as well as the significance of values and character in this election.

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