Kamala Harris is Fighting to Win Over Pennsylvania, but is it Working?

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris listens to Republican candidate Donald Trump speak during the presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Pennsylvania. September 10th, 2024. (Saul Loeb, Getty Images)

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On November 5th, Americans will cast their ballots in arguably one of the most significant elections of the 21st century. This landmark election will occur amidst an age of nationwide polarization and political controversy. While the polls show that both Democrat and Republican strongholds have made their voices apparent on whose name will be prevail in just a few weeks, some swing states continue to oscillate between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and the former Republican president Donald Trump. 

Suffering from deadlocked polls and hesitant voters, the notoriously elusive Pennsylvania is one of the most sought-after swing states. Boasting an impressive 19 electoral votes, the northeastern powerhouse holds serious influence over the fate of the U.S. presidential election—influence that Harris has her eyes on. 

In the words of Molly Ball of the Wall Street Journal, Harris represents a “New Normal” for the Democratic Party—a type of normal that attempts to appeal to the workman rhetoric of the average American, while also promoting a classical liberal notion of equal opportunity. Or, more accurately, an equal opportunity to prosper in the free market. Promoting this promise of prosperity that allegedly only Democrats could bring is Harris’s strategy for winning Pennsylvania: take the American values that Republicans and moderates look for in a candidate and build a campaign around it. Harris has the Democrats of Pennsylvania secured, but winning over undecided moderates and open-minded Republicans is a different story—one that Harris is pulling out all the stops for. 

Harris’s references to the opportunistic nature of America and connection back to her prospective policies during the presidential debate was one of many approaches used to win over Pennsylvania. With a population of about 12.7 million, a booming industrial sector, and an agricultural industry that generates billions in revenue for the state, Pennsylvania’s economy relies on rural, hardworking, traditional Americans. Harris knows this, and how to rhetorically capitalize on it. 

Harris’s lengthy yet idealistically promising stance on funding small businesses and increasing the corporate tax rate is an attempt to connect with the countryside that puts a price tag on hard work. Rivaling the latter stance, Trump’s campaign has published his plan to lower the corporate tax rate by anywhere from 1% to 6%, depending on whether or not the company produces its products domestically. While Trump’s GOP platform thrives on advertising his willingness to fight for his notoriously loyal supporters—many of whom fall under the same category of agrarian workers that Harris is trying to appease—more critical moderates could interpret this policy as a disregard for the ordinary American in exchange for the prioritization of the businessmen in corporate America. 

Fracking is another heated topic that both candidates know is the key to securing Pennsylvania. A controversial oil extraction method, the process of fracking has come under fire within the past decade due to its harmful effects on the environment. The economic reliance and mass production of oil exports via fracking means a specified passion for protecting fracking, especially by the blue collar Pennsylvanians that rely on the practice to make a living. As a result, Harris’s stance on the issue could make or break who gets the coveted state.

Despite her and President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign running on the grounds of a zero-tolerance anti-fracking policy, Harris has a different stance clear in her own cycle: fracking would be protected under her administration. While disappointing to most Democratic voters that continue to look towards their party to combat climate change, Harris’s adjustment of her policy can be seen as a risky, yet deliberate, move to make herself more appealing to Pennsylvanians. Whether or not her efforts are effective will be a different story. 

As of the date that this article is written, most recent polls show Harris leading Trump in Pennsylvania by approximately four points. Whether or not this number is significant enough to hold out until election day is up to interpretation. Taking a closer look at the data reveals that while Pennsylvanians may lean towards Harris in terms of healthcare and race relations, their faith is still placed in the hands of Trump when it comes to the economy. Still, vital northwest counties that are composed of the make-or-break rural voters are seeing a preference for Harris. Her unapologetically American rhetoric during the debate may be a shot in the dark, but it’s delivering a gradual pay off that could culminate on November 5th. 

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This article was edited by Natasha Tretter and Katie Webb.

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