PITTSBURGH – Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz campaigned in western Pennsylvania on Sunday, traveling by bus to communities in Allegheny and Beaver counties to speak directly to voters in this crucial swing state.

Together with their spouses Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, the two vice presidential candidates appeared together for the first time in the west of the state on Sunday, one day before the opening of the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago.

Harris and Walz arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport shortly after 1 p.m. and were greeted by a cheering crowd of about 100 people who posed for selfies before boarding the tour bus and driving off. During the roughly six-hour visit, they stopped at several key locations in the Pittsburgh area, including a Primanti Bros. and a Sheetz — where Harris picked up some Doritos.

At the start of the tour, the candidates and their spouses boarded a tour bus with their names emblazoned on the sides and drove first to a campaign office in Rochester, where they participated in a phone call and spoke with supporters.

Walz told the gathering in Rochester that Harris draws such large crowds at her rallies because she brings “joy” to the campaign trail. “It’s so much better to be for something than against something, for the future,” Walz said. He added that he could remember a time “when you could watch a Steelers game with your relatives on Thanksgiving and not have to complain about politics the whole time.”

Walz, a former high school football coach, spoke about his move to the football region and used a game metaphor to describe what is at stake in the election.

“When the game is over, you want to know that you gave everything on the field and that’s all we ask. Let’s give everything on the field. Let’s finish this thing,” he said.

Harris said at the rally in Rochester that her campaign was born out of love for her country.

“If you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for,” she said. “If you stand for working people, fight for working people. If you stand for freedom, whether it’s making choices about your own body or loving who you love, then fight for those things.”

“That’s what our election is about,” she added.

She also spoke of a “perversion” in politics in recent years, which suggests “that the strength of a leader is measured by who he puts down, while we know that the true strength of a leader is measured by who he supports.”

The bus tour next stopped at a firehouse in Aliquippa, where Harris presented the firefighters with a burnt almond tart from Prantl’s Bakery, a specialty of Western Pennsylvania. The tour then continued to the Aliquippa High School football stadium, home of the undefeated 2023 Quips state champion team.

Harris told the team that being a role model is not easy, but that she trusts they will be the next generation of leaders.

“Being a role model means that family members, people you know in the neighborhood, others in your class are watching what you do,” she said. “And you all take on that responsibility … and inspire people you may not even know to be like you.”

Accompanying Harris and Walz on the tour were U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-17th District), whose district includes parts of Allegheny and Beaver counties, and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), as well as former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis (a fitting guest for a bus tour, since his nickname as a player was “The Bus”).

Deluzio, a Navy veteran, criticized Harris’ Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, for his Comments about veterans and Members of the military.

“In almost every family here, someone has worn a uniform, someone has volunteered,” Deluzio said. “This is who we are, and they spit on that service. Think about it. This is not only disrespect for our culture, it is disrespect for our service.”

Trump campaign spokesman Kush Desai criticized Harris’ economic proposals and her “about-faces” on policy issues in a statement on Sunday. “Kamala Harris has a lot of questions to answer for the people of Pennsylvania,” Desai said. “And while Kamala has not answered questions in the past and will not do so in the near future, the people of Pennsylvania know not to believe her lies, manipulation and tampering.”

However, Harris spoke to reporters and answered questions after greeting guests at a Primanti Bros restaurant in Moon, the tour’s last stop before heading back to the airport. As Harris and the tour bus arrived, a large group of Trump supporters protested outside the restaurant.

She declined to speak “for” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if she thought he was willing to agree to a ceasefire. “I’m telling you, these talks are ongoing and we are not giving up,” Harris said. “We’re going to continue to work very hard on this. We need to get a ceasefire and we need to get the hostages released.”

Harris was also asked if she felt she needed to make up ground in Pennsylvania.

“I believe we have to earn every vote, and that means we have to be out there, in the communities where people are, where they live,” she said. “So I’ll be here with Tim, with the second gentleman, with Ms. Walz, and we’ll work to earn every vote from now until November.”

Harris was officially appointed Democratic presidential candidate earlier this month by a roll call vote of delegates to the Democratic National Committee after President Joe Biden abandoned his bid for re-election and endorsed her on July 21.

Sunday was Harris’ eighth visit to Pennsylvania this year and her 18th visit since being sworn in. She introduced Walz as her vice presidential candidate on August 6 in Philadelphia. She also appeared in Philadelphia to woo Asian-American voters on 13 July and also stopped this cycle in Pittsburgh to promote the government’s infrastructure investments; in Philadelphia discusses student debt with educators; and in Montgomery County to advocate for reproductive rights.

Although he visited the eastern half of the state several times in 2024, Biden made only one campaign stop in western Pennsylvania, when he visited the United Steelworkers union in April ahead of the state’s primary.

Trump campaigned in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and will hold a press conference in York on Monday. His running mate, U.S. Senator JD Vance (Republican of Ohio), will also be in Pennsylvania on Monday, holding a separate press conference in Philadelphia.

At the rally in Wilkes-Barre, Trump did not mention abortion, a central issue that Harris has championed for the Biden administration and during the campaign. But in addition to declaring “I look better than Kamala” at Saturday’s rally, Trump criticized Harris’ economic policies.

“Inflation has been devastating among this group of people who have no idea what the hell they’re doing,” Trump said. “Are you better off with Kamala and Biden than you were under President Donald J. Trump? I don’t think so.”

The annual Inflation was 2.9% in Julythe lowest rate since 2021, but Both campaigns have the economy in the foreground as it remains a top priority for voters. Harris unveiled an economic planFriday’s proposal included plans to ease rent increases, encourage first-time home buyers, end price gouging in the grocery trade and increase the child tax allowance.

A Quinnipiac University poll released August 14 shows Harris narrowly ahead of Trump among likely voters in Pennsylvania, taking three third-party candidates into account. Quinnipiac found that Harris performed particularly well among women.

“If you consider all five candidates, Harris has an overall advantage because she has strong support from women in the must-win Pennsylvania,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said this in a press release.

After touring Western Pennsylvania on Sunday, Harris and Walz are scheduled to head to Chicago. He will address the DNC on Wednesday and she will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday.

This story was fully updated with details of the bus tour at 8:30 p.m. on August 18, 2024.