Less than a month before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, both major party candidates are ramping up their campaign work in key swing states like Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, October 16, the campaign schedules of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris reflect strategic moves that the two candidates hope will energize voters to support them.
Trump’s schedule: No rally today
Interestingly, no rally is scheduled for Donald Trump on the 16th of the month. Instead, he will be preparing for the mega event later in the week. There will be a rally in Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this Saturday night, where Trump is set to speak at 6 p.m. This comes after a spate of campaign events across the state, particularly because it’s considered one of the most critical states in the election landscape.
While Trump is taking a break today from public speaking, his campaign is not in Pennsylvania. His running mate, Senator JD Vance rallies in Williamsport and Wilmington, North Carolina. Events are held to galvanize supporters with the expectation of firming up Republican voter turnout in time for Election Day.
Harris campaign activities
While Trump’s schedule is relatively subdued, Vice President Kamala Harris will hit the trail hard on October 16. She will rally in Washington Crossing, Bucks County, a region that has shown a mix of political affiliations but leans toward being a battleground area. Harris’ visit to Bucks County comes just weeks after she stopped in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she unveiled her “Opportunity Agenda,” focusing on legalizing marijuana and providing loans to Black entrepreneurs.
Bucks County has been the recent subject of much attention due to its shifting demographics and changing voter registration trends. This summer, for example, Republicans were registering at a higher rate than Democrats, so the issue became a hot-button one between the two campaigns. Harris’s visit is an attempt to win over more moderate voters who might split their tickets.
How Pennsylvania matters
A couple of campaigns view Pennsylvania as one of the pivotal states since it has the potential to hold a certain amount of electoral votes. Because Pennsylvania contains a diversified population and its voting history has been balanced on both sides, it is pretty crucial for both Trump and Harris to invest in the state with their time and resources.
It only makes it all the more important that Trump will hold a rally in Latrobe, considering Westmoreland County, in which the community of Latrobe is located, has a majority of Republicans among registered voters, a demographic that could be quite integral in Trump’s pursuit of reclaiming the state after losing it in 2020.
For Harris, though, the setting of Bucks County reflects her understanding of suburban voters who may have flipped since the last election. And that moderate electorate could make or break the presidential race.
The competitive landscape
While both candidates are getting ready for their events this week, they are also keeping their eyes on what their opponents are doing. Perhaps Trump’s decision not to hold a rally today was a strategic one: pace himself for his upcoming events and let his surrogates, like JD Vance, do most of the heavy lifting to keep the momentum going.
Harris’s proactive campaigning today balances Trump’s approach. She speaks directly to the electorate, discussing some of the most important topics that people care about; thus, she works to move the needle in favor of the Biden-Harris ticket.
