As the presidential campaign enters its final three weeks, Democratic governors in key swing states went on a bus tour to try to connect with undecided voters and persuade them to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s nominee.
The Driving Forward Blue Wall Bus Tour, featuring Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tony Evers of Wisconsin and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, traveled through western Pennsylvania on Saturday, stopping at arts events at Slippery Rock, Moon and Baldwin before a night out . voting event in Wilkinsburg featuring U.S. Senator Bob Casey (R-PA) and Pittsburgh native actor Billy Porter, who moderated Jeopardy and asked politicians questions about Pittsburgh and the current election.
“I just want to thank you for what you’re doing to help Kamala Harris and Tim Walz first and foremost,” Casey said during the event. “What are you doing to help me win this Senate race and what are you doing for our entire mandate? We are very grateful for your help. This is a critical moment for our country.”
After the Detroit comments, Shapiro tells Trump to “stop talking about America.”
Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), recently endorsed the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, and held several town halls in Pennsylvania to encourage people to register to vote. Campaign finance records show that Musk contributed about $75 million to America PACcreated to “support candidates who support secure borders, sound spending, safe cities, a fair justice system, free speech and self-defense.”
Musk is scheduled to appear at a town hall in Pittsburgh on Sunday along with Casey’s opponent, GOP candidate Dave McCormick.
Young Democrats of Allegheny County President Lauren Williams said Saturday that she viewed Musk’s involvement as “noise.”
“Honestly, I think Elon Musk trying to dress up as a Pennsylvanian is just weird,” she said. “The fact that he is using Twitter as a way to reach voters in Pennsylvania is just weird. Once again, I don’t think he’s saying anything recent, nor is he saying anything true.”
Josh Green of Pittsburgh, who attended Saturday’s event, said he sees a connection between the energy of the political rallies and the wave of enthusiasm among voters casting ballots.
“I think democracy doesn’t work if people don’t participate,” Green said. “So I think events like this actually contribute to that because they recharge the people who actually attend them, and I think a few of them will probably be inspired to call their loved ones or talk to their neighbors and encourage them to make sure that they will vote.”
The governors began a Blue Wall bus tour in Wisconsin on Monday and continued on to Michigan before arriving in Pennsylvania. These three states are critical “blue wall” swing states that Democrats are counting on in the presidential election. On Sunday, the governors will wrap up the tour with additional stops in central and eastern Pennsylvania.
Since the bus tour, the governors have gotten to know each other a little better; Shapiro said Evers enjoys the Egg McMuffin every day.
Williams said meeting potential voters where they are is key to reaching people who otherwise wouldn’t vote and who might feel disconnected from the political arena.
“I think we have seen time and time again that voters, black women, brown women and young people are disenfranchised in the voting system or disillusioned with government and voting,” Williams said. “And so by coming into local neighborhoods, visiting their places and meeting them where they are, this campaign shows that not only is voting important, but that voting is something you should get involved in.”
The presidential race is extremely tight in Pennsylvania, with Harris and Trump locked in a string of polls.
