The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena on Oct. 14, 2024 in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
This story originally appeared on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Vice President Kamala Harris is spending the last full day of the 2024 campaign in Pennsylvania, the state that will likely determine the outcome of the election with its 19 electoral votes.
Harris started the day at a canvass kickoff event and a rally at Montage Mountain Resort in Scranton, per pool reports. “This whole era of this other guy … it makes people feel alone. It makes people feel like there is nobody standing with them,” Harris told the audience, per pool reports.. “As we are getting out the vote let’s be intentional about building community, about reminding people we have so much more in common than what separates us.”
Her next stop was an afternoon rally at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, where she spoke following a performance by singer Frankie Negron and remarks by rapper Fat Joe, both of whom are of Puerto Rican heritage. The Harris campaign and GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump’s campaign, have tried to court Latino voters, and Allentown is Pennsylvania’s largest city with a majority Latino population.
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The Trump campaign is still feeling the backlash after a comedian told racist jokes about Puerto Rico at his Oct. 28 rally at Madison Square Garden. Fat Joe spoke about the contrast between Trump and Harris in their support for Puerto Ricans, recalling Trump’s gaffe delivering aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
“The man went over there and threw tissue at the people of Puerto Rico,” Fat Joe said, adding that the performance by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe “was no joke, and it was filled with so much hate.”
“If I’m speaking to some undecided Puerto Ricans, especially in Pennsylvania, what more do they gotta do to show you who they are?” he asked.
While campaign surrogates, including second gentleman Doug Emhoff, have campaigned in Allentown, Monday was Harris’ first campaign stop there this cycle.
In her remarks before a crowd of nearly 4,000, Harris implored her supporters to keep working to get out the vote.
”To all the leaders here, I ask you to please continue to talk to your friends and your family and your neighbors and let them know, like you decided to take time out of your busy lives to be here right now … their voices must be heard,” Harris said. “We need everyone in Pennsylvania to vote because you are going to make the difference in this election.”
By noon on Monday a line of Harris-Walz supporters stretched from Muhlenberg’s Memorial Hall around the college’s football stadium and several blocks across campus. As people filtered into the basketball arena where Harris was scheduled to speak, students led the crowd in chants of “when we fight, we win.”
Community leaders and elected officials including Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and state lawmakers filled the VIP section immediately in front of the rostrum.
Student Kailee Joseph from Montclair, N.J. described the final days of the campaign as “surreal” as a young woman of color.
“This is my first time voting ever, so just to see a black woman president running … this is something that, like, I’ve never thought I would see in a million years,” Joseph said.
Joseph said Harris’ candidacy builds on former President Barack Obama’s legacy and makes even more clear that Black people, especially women, have the opportunity to “do something big, like this.”
“I come from a line of hard working black women,” said Joseph, whose mother and father immigrated from Jamaica and Guyana, respectively, as children.
“Just to see another black woman on stage is something that’s like, wow … you can do it. And I think it’s showing that we are progressing as a country. It may be very, very slow, but we are progressing in some way,” Joseph said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro told the crowd the choice centered on two questions: “Who’s going to deliver for us, get stuff done for us, and who’s going to look out for our fundamental freedoms? And the choice could not be more clear.”
“I want a president who wants to lift all of us up,” Shapiro said. “I want a president who’s got a big heart like Harris, folks. This is a moment where we have an opportunity to elect a good and honorable and decent soul, someone I’ve known for two decades, I know what’s in her heart, and I know what she’s capable of, and she will deliver for us here in Pennsylvania.”
The Lehigh Valley, which Shapiro described as the “swingiest region in the swingiest state” has been a bellwether for presidential politics in recent years, with three deep blue cities and rural and suburban red areas.
“You’ve got immense responsibility here, not just to elect Kamala Harris, not just to elect [U.S. Sen.] Bob Casey, not just to elect [U.S. Rep.] Susan Wild, but I think you’ve got a real responsibility here to help us write this next chapter in our American story, one that we can be proud to pass on to our children and our grandchildren,” Shapiro said.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Harris said she would put the dark era of his influence in American politics in the past.
“We have the opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of policies that have been driven by fear and division, we’re done with that,” she said. “America is ready for a fresh start, and America is ready for a new way forward, where we see our fellow American not as an enemy, but as a neighbor.”
Repeating her campaign’s promises to improve the lot of working and middle class Americans, Harris spoke about her goals of reducing the cost of living, making housing and child care affordable and cutting taxes.
“My pledge to you is that when I walk in the White House, instead of stewing over an enemies list, I will spend every day working on my to do list,” Harris said.
Amid the boisterous crowd, an angry voice carried over the rest about 10 minutes into Harris’ remarks. A woman wearing a hijab was led from the student section of the stands and could be heard protesting the Israeli war against Hammas that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
“Democracy can be a bit complicated sometimes, but that’s okay,” Harris said as the disruption passed. “We are fighting for a democracy, which is why I say that I am not going to be a leader who thinks that people who disagree with me should be put in jail.”
“I’ll give them a seat at the table, that’s what real leaders do. That’s what strong leaders do,” Harris said.
After Allentown, Harris heads to Pittsburgh, for a rally at the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Harris will be joined by Emhoff at the Pittsburgh rally, along with singers Katy Perry and Andra Day and DJ D-Nice. Pittsburgh Public Schools are operating on a half-day schedule and Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh workers will be dismissed at noon Monday, with both Harris and Trump in Pittsburgh this evening.
In Harrisburg on Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro and actors Robert DeNiro and Sam Waterston held a get out the vote rally.
Harris will wrap up the barnstorm through the Keystone State with a rally in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which will begin close to 11 p.m. Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, The Roots and Oprah Winfrey are all slated to join Harris in Philly.
This story was updated with details from the Allentown and Scranton events and will be updated further after the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia events.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and X.
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