As September comes to a close, both Republican Party presidential candidates will be campaigning in Pennsylvania this weekend. On the Democratic side, key Harris campaign surrogates and celebrity guests will be rallying voters.
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally on Sunday in Erie County, a county in the northwestern part of the Commonwealth. This will be Trump’s first visit to Erie in 2024, but his second in the current campaign cycle. He gathered supporters there in July 2023which was his first appearance in Pennsylvania in connection with his 2024 White House bid.
Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), will visit suburbs on opposite sides of the Keystone State on Saturday. Vance is the featured guest at a “town hall” in Monroeville outside Pittsburgh hosted by The Lance Wallnau Show as part of his “Courage Tour.”
Vance’s second stop of the day will be in Bucks County outside Philadelphia, where he will hold a rally with supporters.
Vice President Kamala Harris will be in San Francisco for approximately collection on Saturdaywhile her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will campaign in Michigan and attend a college football game. Harris-Walz campaign events are scheduled throughout Pennsylvania this weekend.
“Bridgerton” writer-producer Shonda Rhimes will campaign for the Harris-Walz ticket in the Southeast at three events. On Saturday morning, she will travel to West Philadelphia for a “Books, Ballots and Brunch” event with Black women leaders. His second stop of the day will also be Philadelphia, where he will participate in a canvas and appreciation picnic for the 52nd Ward. In the afternoon, Rhimes is scheduled to lead a “reproductive freedom rally” with Gov. Josh Shapiro at the Plymouth Meeting, located in the governor’s home county.
Both Harris and Walz appeared in Pennsylvania within the last seven days. Harris was in Pittsburgh on Wednesday give a speech on his economic policy while Walz was in the Lehigh Valley on September 21 for the rally.
Key areas of the battlefield
President Joe Biden won all five counties where presidential campaign events will be held this weekend. Two of these counties are considered among the largest swing counties in the commonwealth.
Erie County, where Trump will be based, was one of two counties that Biden flipped from red to blue in 2020. Elections 2016Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by 1.5 points in Erie County, while Biden improved her by 1 point in 2020.
AND USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll released on September 16 showed Harris leading Trump by 4 points in Erie County.
Vance’s visit to Bucks County will be the first time this year that a candidate holding either seat will hold a rally in the lone purple-collar county in the Philadelphia region. In the 2016 presidential election, Clinton defeated Trump slightly less than 1 point in Bucks County, while Biden won the county by 4 points 2020.
However, Democrats for statewide office did well in Bucks County in recent elections Republicans recently regained the advantage in voter registration over Democrats for the first time since 2007.
Allegheny, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, where the remaining events take place, are the three strongest counties for Democrats in Pennsylvania.
Polls continue to show Harris and Trump in a tight race for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes. AND Susquehanna Survey and Research Survey likely voters conducted September 16-22 showed Harris and Trump tied in Pennsylvania.
