On Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris made a powerful statement in Philadelphia: the path to victory in the 2024 election runs straight through the City of Brotherly Love.
Pennsylvania, with its critical 19 electoral votes, could play a pivotal role in deciding the next president, and Harris didn’t shy away from her confidence in the Keystone State. “We’re going to do it,” she told supporters during a stop at Hakim’s Bookstore, a Black-owned business in West Philadelphia, accompanied by Mayor Cherelle Parker. “Victory runs through Philly and it runs through Pennsylvania.”
Throughout the day, Harris made her rounds at several key locations in Philadelphia, attending a service at a predominantly Black church, stopping by a barbershop, and visiting a Puerto Rican restaurant, all part of a larger strategy to connect with Black and Latino voters. Pennsylvania sits at the heart of the Democrats’ “blue wall” alongside Michigan and Wisconsin—states that Trump won in 2016 before Biden flipped them in 2020.
Aiming to bolster her presence, Harris also visited a youth basketball team and launched a new campaign ad that aired during the Eagles game. The ad, which quickly went viral, played on Trump’s 2020 comment, “Bad things happen in Philadelphia,” and portrayed the city’s famously tough sports fans as ready to fight back. The narrator’s fierce tone, saying, “We’re Philly. F—ing Philly,” delivered a spirited warning to Trump.
Her message was clear as she traveled through Philadelphia’s diverse neighborhoods: “The election is here, and the choice is truly in your hands,” Harris emphasized. Urging voters to recognize their own power in determining the nation’s future, she highlighted her campaign’s commitment to building a broad coalition. In this case, that means convincing an overwhelmingly Democratic, yet diverse city, to unite in support of her campaign.
Harris’ call to action resonated as she rallied residents to focus on common ground, saying, “Let’s be intentional about building community. Let’s be intentional about understanding we all have so much more in common than what separates us.”Alongside her message to Black and Latino communities, Harris focused on mobilizing young voters, a demographic she views as crucial to securing victory in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. “You are rightly impatient for change,” she said, addressing the younger generation’s frustration with issues such as climate change and gun violence. “You who have only known the climate crisis… You who grew up with active shooter drills, you know what we have to do to fight for safety in our schools.”
Harris continued, framing the stakes of the election around the future of reproductive rights, a topic her campaign has frequently highlighted, hoping to energize younger voters who see these issues as central to their futures.
However, the rally wasn’t without interruption. Shortly after taking the stage, Harris faced a pro-Palestinian protester, a reminder of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s resonance even at domestic political events. In response, Harris briefly shifted her focus to acknowledge the ongoing war in Gaza. “We can, and we must seize this opportunity to end this war and bring the hostages home,” she stated, underscoring her intent to support diplomatic efforts for peace.
As Harris continues to build support across Pennsylvania, her message remains one of unity and determination. By connecting with key voter groups in Philadelphia and emphasizing the election’s impact on issues from community safety to climate action, she’s aiming to turn out a high voter base in the last crucial days before the election.
