Gov. Tim Walz to make first solo visit to Pennsylvania as part of series of stops next week

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will hold events in Pennsylvania over the coming week, with stops across the state on Wednesday and Thursday, Harris’ campaign said.

The visit will be Walz’s first solo trip to the Commonwealth since joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket. The campaign did not say where exactly Walz would travel, but said additional details would be provided.

Both Democrats and Republicans have spent time and campaign resources trying to shore up support in what is considered a key swing state. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the candidate who wins Pennsylvania “will win it all.”

Trump visited Johnstown on Friday, speaking at the Cambria County War Memorial. That same day, the Harris-Walz campaign announced the opening of its 50th campaign office in Ephrata, a Lancaster County district. Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio), visited Erie for an event on Wednesday.

Harris will rally with President Joe Biden in Pittsburgh on Monday, her ninth visit to the state this year and their first joint campaign appearance since accepting the Democratic presidential nomination.

A recent Franklin and Marshall poll of registered voters in Pennsylvania found that 3% of voters in the state are undecided. Trump held a “slim lead” in Pennsylvania, but Harris gained in a race that now appears close.

Walz and Harris first appeared together in Philadelphia in early August, the same day Harris named him her vice presidential running mate.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was seriously considered for the job. After Harris chose Walz, Shapiro said he would campaign for Harris in the state. He spoke at a rally in Philadelphia last month.

Shapiro’s biggest advantage has been his popularity with the Pennsylvania electorate. The governor outpolled Sen. John Fetterman in the 2022 election, and data showed Shapiro was supported by people who voted for Trump in 2020.

Campaign organizers said they hope Walz, who grew up in a rural western Nebraska community, will find favor with working-class voters across the state.

Harris and Trump are scheduled to face off in a September 10 debate hosted by ABC at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.