Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic candidate for vice president, speaks at a rally at York Exposition Center UPMC Arena on October 2, 2024 in York. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WEST MANCHESTER TWP— One day after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz debated U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) in New York City, he rallied supporters in York County, a traditionally safe Republican area.
“Anybody watch the debate last night?,” Walz asked the crowd of more than 2,000 at the York Fairgrounds. “Not bad for a football coach, not bad.” The audience gave Walz a healthy round of applause.
The Democrats’ vice presidential nominee said the 90-minute showdown on primetime was “a civil, but spirited debate,” adding that he did not underestimate Vance. He described the GOP candidate for vice president as a “slick talker,” but accused him of attempting to “rewrite history” and attempting to “mislead” the American people about former President Donald Trump’s record.
“That’s gaslighting,” Walz said.
A post-debate snap poll from Politico/Focaldata found voters were divided 50/50 over who won Tuesday’s debate, and an average of other polls showed that while Vance had a slight edge, most viewers didn’t see a clear winner.
“I was speaking to the American people last night,” Walz said. “It felt, especially in that moment to me, that Senator Vance was speaking to an audience of one,” suggesting Vance sought to appease Trump.
Walz said there was one moment towards the end of the debate that he described as “absolutely disqualifying” for Vance.
“Mike Pence did his duty, he honored his oath, and he chose the Constitution over Donald Trump,” Walz said, referencing the former vice president’s decision to certify the election results in 2020, disregarding comments from Trump.
“Understand, in that 88th minute last night with that damning non answer, Senator Vance made it clear he will always make a different choice than Mike Pence made,” Walz added.
Tim Walz and J.D. Vance tangle in wonky, largely cordial vice presidential debate
Vance is on the record saying he would not have voted to certify the election results and instead would have called on the states to “submit alternative slates of electors.”
“Tim Walz’s post-debate cleanup swing through Pennsylvania isn’t going to sell Pennsylvanians on another four years of rising prices, open borders, and disaster on the world stage,” said Trump campaign PA spokesman Kush Desai. “It’s just going to be another reminder to Pennsylvanians to get their ballots in to return to the peace, prosperity, and stability of the Trump administration.”
Tuesday’s showdown between Vance and Walz is the last scheduled debate of the cycle, although Harris and Vance have previously said they’d be open to more.
Walz stood near bales of hay at Wednesday’s rally, touting, Harris’ agenda on a wide range of issues, but places a specific focus on rural voters. He referenced his upbringing in a small Nebraska town.
“We need to take our values and talk about those in areas that we know we’re not just looking for your vote,” Walz said. “We believe the policies are going to improve your lives. We believe these things will help you.”
“Kamala’s laid out a plan, and she talks about an opportunity economy, one that reaches into farming and energy communities, just like this area of Pennsylvania, where you’ll accept things that make a difference,” he added.
Vance highlighted Harris’ position on increasing the small business tax credit, first time homeowners plan, and focus on attempting to address price gouging from big corporations. He also discussed women’s reproductive rights and supporting gun safety legislation, while also being a gun owner, himself.
Walz also suggested that Pennsylvania should enact same day voter registration, just like Minnesota.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), a York County native who has been a fixture for Democrats outreach in rural areas of the commonwealth, touted his roots in the area and reiterated an attack against Vance that Walz has made throughout the past few months.
Wheels down in HARRISBURG with the next Vice President @Tim_Walz
I said, Governor, it’s time to pick a side:
Wawa or Sheetz
(he whispered Sheetz is totally the best) pic.twitter.com/9Gtbjv2YTJ
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 2, 2024
“The other candidate for vice president,” Fetterman said. “I work with him.”
“So, you might think that, is he really that weird,” he added. “And I’m here to say yes, I can confirm that.”
Fetterman, the former lieutenant governor who won his race for U.S. Senate in 2022, compared Vance to his opponent, Mehmet Oz.
“They both used to be accomplished, regular people and then they decided to sell their soul to be all about MAGA,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman said he was “calling out” the media for its coverage of the election, saying there is a “stark difference” between the Democratic and Republican tickets.
York County Commissioner Doug Hoke said that it doesn’t matter to the Harris-Walz ticket if you’re from a red or blue state and said Trump’s term did not help his community, which is a largely rural area.
“Trump had his opportunity, but as president, he did the opposite,” Hoke said on stage. “Trump showed us what he would do. He’ll turn us back on rural America to help out big corporations, special interests, and billionaires.”
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Edward Ritter, a York County native and engineer, is running for Pennsylvania’s 47th state House District as a Democrat against state Rep. Joe D’Orsie (R-York).
Ritter told the Capital-Star that he was a Republican for 40 years, but switched to Independent in 2014, and recently switched to the Democratic Party to challenge D’Orsie. He describes himself as a “middle of the road” guy, running in a conservative district, but believes certain messaging from the Harris-Walz ticket can win some voters over.
“I’ll concede that they’re never going to swing a MAGA voter, number one,” Ritter told the Capital-Star. “But number two, they need to come down hard on January 6 and the outcome of January 6, because absolutely it was an effort to overturn a free and fair election. And it was, it was despicable. It was beyond the pale.”
He said he has some Republican friends and neighbors that have pledged to vote for him, and who have said they “cannot abide” by what happened on January 6.
“So I think if they lean hard into that, they will pull some independents over,” he said of the Harris campaign. “They will pull some Republicans over. You know, the Republican law-and- order voters, not MAGA voters.”
Wednesday was Walz’s fifth time visiting Pennsylvania since joining the Democratic ticket for vice president, and his second visit to central Pennsylvania.
Walz campaigns in Erie, a bellwether Pennsylvania county
On Sept. 24, the Harris campaign hosted its first “Republicans for Harris” coalition in-person gathering with speeches from Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois, and former U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia in Lancaster County, part of a larger effort to venture into rural areas and regions that previously have leaned conservative.
The campaign has 50 coordinated offices throughout the commonwealth, including field offices in conservative regions, including York County.
In 2016, Trump won York County by 29 points over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump defeated Biden by 25 points in York County in 2020.
Harris was originally scheduled to join Walz for the bus trip, but she went to Georgia instead in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Walz flew into Harrisburg International Airport on Wednesday afternoon and was greeted by Fetterman, his wife, Gisele Fetterman, Attorney General Michelle Henry, AFL-CIO Pennsylvania President Angela Ferritto, AFL-CIO Pennsylvania Secretary-Treasurer Maurice Cobb, and Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council President Rob Bair.
After the rally in York County, Walz traveled to Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Market in York County and Mofongo Restaurant, a Puerto Rican family-owned small business in Reading, a city with a Hispanic population of 69% according to 2020 census data.
The Trump campaign has also attempted to win over Latino voters in that region and opened a campaign office in Reading in June.
Polling consistently shows Harris and Trump in a dead heat for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes.
The Cook Political Report rates the presidential race in Pennsylvania as a toss-up.
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