CHICAGO ― With his teenage son weeping and saying, “That’s my dad!” Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz leaned into his own life story during his remarks Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.

Walz, the governor of Minnesota, recalled his days as a high school teacher, football coach and soldier in the Minnesota National Guard in a remarkably short speech that largely echoed what he’s said at campaign events since Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate earlier this month.

He walked onstage to John Mellencamp’s “Small Town,” following presentations from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and former students at Mankato West High School, where Walz taught social studies and was a defensive coordinator on the football team. Many of them were clad in their old football uniforms.

Convention-goers welcomed him with signs that said “Coach Walz” and chanted “Coach, coach, coach!” The Minnesota delegation even held big cutouts of Walz’s face.

“Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your determination,” Walz said. “And most of all, thank you for your joy.”

In keeping with the evening’s focus on a progressive brand of patriotism, Walz narrated his life story ― from a childhood in Butte, Nebraska, to a teaching career in Mankato, Minnesota, and then to Congress ― as an illustration of the success of American social programs. His father’s death when he was young left the family in financial straits, but the federal government provided essential help.

“Thank God for Social Security survivor benefits,” Walz said while recounting the aftermath of his father’s death. “And thank God for the GI bill that allowed my dad and me to go to college ― and millions of other people!”

Walz recounted how, later, he and his wife struggled to have their first baby and needed fertility treatment. He was careful not to say they required in vitro fertilization, or IVF, because he has elicited scrutiny for implying as much, even though he and his wife used a different treatment.

“It took Gwen and I years, but we had access to fertility treatments, and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope. Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you!” Walz declared.

In a moment that was almost instantly trending on social media, Gus Walz stood up, fully crying, clapping and pointing at the stage, making sure everyone knew he was related to the man giving the speech.

Walz argued that his family’s story showed why some Republicans’ opposition to abortion rights and IVF poses a threat to all Americans’ freedoms.

“When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor’s office, corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers,” Walz siad. “But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love, freedom to make your own health care decisions, and, yeah, your kids’ freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall.”

Walz, an avid hunter, was once a darling of the National Rifle Association. But as governor, he described having a change of heart brought on by the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and he signed a series of gun safety measures into law in 2023.

“I’m a veteran, I’m a hunter and I was a better shot than most Republicans in Congress, and I got the trophies to prove it,” he said. “But I’m also a dad. I believe in the Second Amendment, but I also believe our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe.”

Walz mentioned some of his policy achievements as governor of Minnesota, including a bill he signed last year that made school breakfast and lunch free for all students regardless of their financial means.

“When other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” Walz said, eliciting cheers from the audience.

Walz did not just speak about himself, though. He showcased his humility and his commitment to serving Harris, which reportedly helped convince her to pick him as her running mate.

After ticking off a series of Harris’ accomplishments as a prosecutor, senator and vice president, he instructed everyone watching to clip the next part and share it with their undecided relatives.

“If you’re a middle-class family or a family trying to get into the middle class, Kamala Harris is going to cut your taxes. If you’re getting squeezed by prescription drug prices, Kamala Harris is going to take on Big Pharma. If you’re hoping to buy a home, Kamala Harris is going to help make it more affordable,” he said. “And no matter who you are, Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead, because that’s what we want for ourselves, and it’s what we want for our neighbors.”