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Harris makes whirlwind Luzerne County stop, with 24-minute speech at Wilkes University


has wrapped up a rousing 24-minute speech at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre.
Aimee Dilger
/
WVIA News
Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the crowd at Wilkes University's McHale Athletic Center Friday evening. She spoke for 24 minutes. 'I will always put middle-class working people first. It will always be my priority. I know where I come from,' the Democratic nominee from Oakland, California, shouted as thousands in a Wilkes-Barre college gymnasium roared.

Kamala Harris' appearance in Luzerne County started early and lasted less than a half hour.

The Democratic presidential nominee, who had been scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, took the stage at 6:20 p.m.

She wrapped up at 6:44 p.m.

In those 24 minutes, Harris vowed to build an economy that gives everyone a chance to own a home, build wealth and start a business in her first trip to northeast Pennsylvania as a presidential candidate.

“I will always put middle-class working people first. It will always be my priority. I know where I come from,” the Oakland, California native shouted as thousands gathered at Wilkes University's McHale Athletic Center.

Her Republican competitor, former President Donald Trump, dominated Luzerne County in his first two bids for the White House.

Like President Joe Biden in 2020, Harris is trying to woo some of Trump’s support in Republican-trending counties like Luzerne to win Pennsylvania, a key to winning the White House. It was only her second visit to a county outside of the state’s most populous and Democratic regions.

During the speech, protesters shouted “Free Palestine” and other support for ending the war in Israel but the crowd routinely drowned them out and Harris kept speaking.

Opening acts

Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown was the first to speak Friday. He was greeted by cheers from the hometown crowd at Wilkes University.

“I’m here to enthusiastically support a candidate who has always put people over politics, someone who has fought to get things done for all of us,” he said. “That candidate is Kamala Harris.”

Chants of “Kamala, Kamala” greeted Brown’s statement — he had mispronounced Harris’s first name. The crowd continued to chant until Brown managed to correct himself. The crowd cheered him on.

Brown then introduced the evening’s second speaker, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

As the governor walked onto the stage, a boisterous, lengthy cheer went up from the crowd as phones and cameras shot up throughout the room.

“What’s up, Wilkes-Barre?” he called over the swell of sound.

Shapiro called Harris a partner for Pennsylvania, mentioning her in company with Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Matt Cartwright, who are also running this year.

Shapiro, a former state attorney general, said he has known Harris, California’s former attorney general, for almost 20 years.

“She is tough as nails, and she's got a big heart, and she is someone who doesn't play,” he said as the crowd of 5,000 or so roared. “We saw that the other night in the debate, right?”

Shapiro said Harris is “battle-tested and ready to go and ready to lead this nation forward.”

Casey also spoke, then Harris was introduced by Mary Grace Vadala, a nurse from Scranton who described herself as a lifelong republican - who will be voting for Harris in November.

As Harris spoke, the crowd often finished her slogan of “We’re not going back.”

She closed by asking the audience, “are we ready to fight?”

They roared, signs waving and phones lighting up.

“When we fight,” she said, “we win.”

See more on this story tonight and Saturday at wvia.org.

Borys joins WVIA News from The Scranton Times-Tribune, where he served as an investigative reporter and covered a wide range of political stories. His work has been recognized with numerous national and state journalism awards from the Inland Press Association, Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, Society of Professional Journalists and Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association.

You can email Borys at boryskrawczeniuk@wvia.org
Sarah Scinto is the local host of Morning Edition on WVIA. She is a Connecticut native and graduate of King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, and has previously covered Northeastern Pennsylvania for The Scranton Times-Tribune, The Citizens’ Voice and Greater Pittston Progress.
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