Erie Ending: Walz completes two-day solo vice presidential campaign swing in Pennsylvania

ERIE, PA. – Gov. Tim Walz capped his solo two-day barnstorming trip to Pennsylvania with a rally in Erie, managing to hit three of four corners of the state that is of monumental importance to both presidential tickets in November.

Both the GOP and Democratic presidential tickets are spending lots of time in the state with 19 electoral votes potentially determining who runs the country for the next four years. Pennsylvania was so busy with candidates that weapons-sniffing dogs had some of the busiest and most challenging schedules in town. The dogs conduct sweeps, sniffing at luggage and equipment before flights and stops.

Vice President Kamala Harris landed in the Steel City on Thursday afternoon and was expected to remain there as she prepares for her first debate with former President Donald Trump on Tuesday in Philadelphia. She was also there on Labor Day with President Joe Biden on their first event together.

A recent CNN poll showed Harris and Trump almost evenly split in Pennsylvania so both tickets are fighting for each and every vote.

Here are updates from Walz’s visit to the Keystone State:

Walz began speaking at 5:11 p.m. to a crowd that his campaign estimated was 2,000 people at the Highmark Amphitheater on the Port of Erie. He noted the crowd size, “A while back Donald Trump said these crowds are AI [artificial intelligence]. You know what’s not AI? Your votes,” the governor said.

As he gazed around at the water behind him, he marveled, “This backdrop is unbelievable and that’s coming from somebody who knows a thing about lakes coming from Minnesota. This is a good one,” Walz said.

On Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, he said, “That’s the only guy who dresses down better than me. That guy’s got it.”

He noted that his rally, the last stop on his first two-day solo swing, was occurring two hours before kick off of the NFL season. He talked up his running mate’s résumé as a prosecutor, state attorney general, senator and vice president. “Yeah, she’s qualified,” he said, adding that she wants an opportunity economy that “works for everybody.”

He said Harris-Walz policies will make lives better for everyone — including Trump supporters. He mentioned cutting taxes for the middle class and negotiating to lower the price of prescription drugs for Medicaid.

He also pledged to help reduce medical debt. “We can fix it,” he said. “So look, I’m proud to be part of this fight.”

Walz marveled at how a girl from Oakland, Calif., and guy from Butte, Neb., could run for the White House. “Those middle-class values are what we’re going to bring to the White House in November with your help,” he said.

Then he echoed a phrase Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has used, saying, “Whenever Donald Trump is talking about America, he’s shit-talking America. He doesn’t believe in the promise of America.”

Walz said Trump has “promised to pick up right where he left off the last time,” to cut taxes for the rich, clean out the experts in government and install loyalists.

He urged his supporters to talk to their relatives and made a veiled reference to recent reports about his distant relations supporting Trump. “All of you know, I need to talk to relatives too,” Walz said.

He talked about making it easier to join unions and collectively bargain. “We’re not interested in cutting taxes for the wealthy and raising the retirement age,” Walz said.

He decried the GOP as a cult and no longer a functioning political party. He talked about Trump as a nine-year reality show. “Let’s turn the channel. Let’s cancel the damn thing. Let’s move on to something,” the governor said.

“This divisiveness and this anger, I’m tired of it,” Walz said, adding, “Remember when we used to go weeks or months without talking about the president?”

He said, “We walk on water half the year in Minnesota because we are optimists.”

The crowd began chanting, “We’re not going back.” Walz also talked about how his son is starting his senior year of high school just like the murdered kids at Sandy Hook Elementary School would have done. The crowd broke into chants of “Gus!”

Back to the football metaphor, he told supporters to fight for the election an inch, a yard at a time. The crowd held up signs that read Kamala on one side and Coach! on the other.

He spoke for 38 minutes under clear, sunny 80-degree skies. Shortly after 6 p.m., his motorcade rolled to the airport for the flight back to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Walz made a stop at Sara’s “food tastes better with a smile” Restaurant.

He acquired two hot-fudge shakes, a burger and onion rings. He and daughter Hope sat down and nibbled and sipped before Hope asked a gubernatorial staffer to procure her a Diet Coke, which he did.

Walz shook hands, posed for photos and smiled at the late-afternoon diners outdoors in a sunny 82-degree afternoon.

The shop was across the street from an entrance to Presque Isle State Park.

Walz stopped at a coordinated campaign headquarters in downtown Erie that was more a busy hallway than a spacious office. He walked in and gave five-minute speech that was jammed with hot topics.

He mentioned that Trump had said a day earlier that he is the only choice for Pennsylvanians. Walz added, “I would say like almost everything he is 100 percent wrong.”

The more than two dozen volunteers enthusiastically applauded the line.

He talked about people being able to control their own destiny with reproductive rights and mentioned the importance of a good education and affordable health care.

He denounced venture capitalists who have “gutted America.”

He also said “Climate change is real and our kids are counting on us but it doesn’t mean we can’t grow our economy.”

He said Pennsylvania and Minnesota have a lot in common. “You know how to deal with snow here,” Walz said, again receiving enthusiastic applause.

He said Republicans have a plan that is not an accident: depress people, spread conspiracy theories and tell them their votes don’t matter.

He talked about politics being a means to an end. “The end is a freer, better more inclusive society where everyone belongs,” Walz said.

He mentioned the Georgia school shooting on Wednesday, saying kids deserve freedom to “go to school without being shot.”

He said “you no longer get to put out thoughts and prayers” when the country can do what Minnesota has done in the past two years — expanding background checks and passing a red-flag law that allows family and friends to alert authorities about people who are a threat to themselves or others.

As he did the day before in Lancaster, he told the volunteers that the election may turn on what they can do to get out votes.

“When the story is told about this election, you’re going to be able to say I did everything I could,” Walz said.

Reporters and cameras were moved out of the area after his speech while Walz stayed and mingled and again told volunteers that he’d jump on a call if they got someone on the phone. He was more dressed up Thursday in khaki pants, a white dress shirt and blue jacket. His daughter, Hope, joined him again.

The governor started his day with radio calls in Pittsburgh, where he spent the night. Shortly after noon, he got on his plane for a 20-minute flight north to Erie.

In his first day, Walz’s campaign stops were lower key and included multiple servings of ice cream, cookies and donuts although it’s unclear what portion he ate himself as opposed to what he donated to volunteers and his charter flight full of security, staff, volunteers and media.

Along with the aggressive acquisition of sugary snacks, the governor’s task was to sow enthusiasm for the national ticket he joined just over a month ago.

The string of events was anything but freewheeling and Walz didn’t take questions on the record from the press pool nor did he speak to them most of the day. He traveled in his own SUV with security and his movements — as well as those of reporters and photographers — were calculated and controlled by the campaign.

His schedule on the first day was almost entirely meet-and-greet events, not fiery campaign-style speeches or policy talks. He fed a Guernsey calf and talked on the phone to voters at the volunteer headquarters in Lancaster.

Notwithstanding the heavy security presence that include a motorcade of more than 20 vehicles, Walz was in his element when talking to volunteers and voters, introducing himself and making small talk. He was upbeat and energetic throughout the day, and his daughter appeared at ease chatting with volunteers and taking photos with anyone who asked.