It was 16 degrees and snowing on the island in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Leaning against the silver barrier with three layers on, I anxiously waited for a speech that I would never forget- on February 10th, 2019, Amy Klobuchar announced her presidential campaign. Before the Democratic Minnesota Senator spoke, several people helped build the crowds’ excitement including “The Sound of Blackness”, who sang the national anthem, Minneapolis North High School’s drumline, Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, Minnesota Senator, Tina Smith, and Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz. After her introduction, Amy Klobuchar walked onto the stage in a yellow coat smiling and waving to the crowd.Standing in the cold, I realized that it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a high schooler to witness a woman politician announce her candidacy.

At the beginning of her speech, Klobuchar immediately pointed out the weather. Peering out into the middle of blizzard like conditions, Klobuchar complimented the audience while stating her opinion regarding people who need to be in politics saying “I think we need people with grit. I have that grit.” “Connecting the American people,” Klobuchar described the mighty Mississippi River that was flowing on the outskirts of Boom Island. After her description of the river, Klobuchar then shared her family’s history. Her grandma was an immigrant, father was a journalist, and mother was a teacher, which set the stage for the problems Klobuchar would later discuss like immigration and free press.

Klobuchar addressed several concerns regarding America’s future while taking subtle jabs at the President (without calling him out by name). Issues like voters’ rights, gun control, climate change, and foreign affairs were all items Klobuchar spoke about that received positive responses from the crowd. Klobuchar’s remarks signify her progressive vision for the United States. Currently there have been ten others who have announced their campaigns for the democratic party, making it a pretty crowded field for candidates. It will be exciting to see how far Amy Klobuchar takes her campaign.