Harris and Walz Kick Off Their 1st Bus Tour in Western Pennsylvania

As the Democratic National Convention approaches, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, accompanied by their spouses Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, will begin their “On the Road to Chicago” bus tour in Pennsylvania, a pivotal battleground state. This marked the first occasion that all four will campaign together.

The tour will start in Pittsburgh and include various stops in Beaver and Allegheny counties, located in western Pennsylvania. The primary goal of the tour is to engage with voters in community settings through activities ranging from canvassing launches to local retail visits.

This outreach comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Wilkes-Barre, situated in northeastern Pennsylvania. Trump is set to visit York on Monday while his vice presidential pick, JD Vance, plans to speak in Philadelphia the same day.

Harris’ campaign is particularly focused on making headway in the predominantly conservative Beaver County, where she plans to underscore the importance of labor unions. In contrast, Trump aims to resonate with blue-collar voters in Wilkes-Barre, a city close to President Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton.

During his rally, Trump suggested that Harris’ proposed economic policies would have dire consequences for Pennsylvania, a state with deep connections to the energy and steel sectors.

“We’re going to get your energy prices down by 50%… the Kamala presidency will mean death for Pennsylvania energy. Remember that; it’ll mean death of Pennsylvania,” Trump declared.

The competing events illustrate the high stakes in Pennsylvania, crucial for candidates in their pursuit of the 270 electoral votes needed for victory in the upcoming election. The state holds deep significance for Biden and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who frequently campaigned there; Biden made nine appearances in the state earlier this year.

This will be both Harris’ and Trump’s eighth visit to Pennsylvania in 2023, underscoring the state’s importance for the candidates.

In the 2016 election, Trump captured Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes, but in 2020, Biden narrowly reclaimed the state along with Wisconsin and Michigan, winning by just over 1%.

Since Biden’s decision to step aside, Harris has experienced a surge of momentum that has reenergized her campaign, reflected in improved polling in swing states. As it stands, Harris currently holds a slight advantage over Trump by nearly two points in Pennsylvania, according to averages from 538.

The Harris-Walz campaign is banking on the significant investments made in Pennsylvania to solidify their lead. Currently, they are operating nearly 300 staffers across 36 offices in the state. Additionally, on Saturday, they announced a substantial $370 million ad investment, emphasizing that their television advertising budget in Pennsylvania will be double what was allocated in 2020.

As both campaigns mobilize their efforts in Pennsylvania, the upcoming days will undoubtedly shape the narrative leading up to the Democratic National Convention and beyond, setting the stage for a fiercely contested race in one of the nation’s key electoral states.