With Pennsylvania being considered a key swing state this election, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and running mate Governor Tim Walz are spending lots of time in the Keystone state.
On Monday, Oct. 14, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed thousands of supporters at the Lavery Brewing Co. in downtown Erie.
Harris addressed Erie County’s status as a bellwether and told the crowd, “How you all vote in presidential elections often ends up predicting the national result.”
Harris is correct as, in the past 25 elections, Erie County has voted for the winner of Pennsylvania 23 of 25 times. The Vice President rallied her supporters by promising to protect reproductive freedoms, help lower the cost for everyday Americans, and warned the crowd of a second Trump presidency, saying “Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged, and he is out for unchecked power, that is what he is looking for.”
While Harris has been rallying supporters in large cities across the commonwealth, her running mate Governor Tim Walz has been stumping for her in rural areas.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Walz visited a farm in Volant, 14 miles from Slippery Rock University. Walz spoke to a crowd of several dozen supporters as he laid out the ticket’s plan for addressing the healthcare needs of rural communities. This included a proposal for 10,000 new rural healthcare professionals, expanding EMT service for rural communities and expanding telemedicine.
Walz also reaffirmed his support for the Second Amendment but stuck to his guns about the need for gun reform saying, “We believe in the Second Amendment, but our first priority is protecting children and communities from gun violence.”
Following the rally in Volant, Walz traveled to the southern Butler County borough of Valencia, where he addressed a small crowd at a greenhouse. Ending his Western Pennsylvania trip, Walz addressed a packed crowd in Acrisure Stadium’s Great Hall.
Signs that read “COACH!” in black and gold filled the stadium in Pittsburgh’s North Side. Before Walz spoke, remarks were given by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Will Allen who both encouraged supporters to vote early.
Walz rallied supporters by affirming his and Harris’ support for union workers and laying out a plan to fight price gouging. With Pennsylvania seeming to be the winner taking all states, both parties are leaving no stone unturned.
