Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (center) chats with black men at the Philly Cuts barbershop during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Sunday. Susan Walsh/Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Kamala Harris said Sunday that “no one can sit on the sidelines” in this year’s presidential election, ending a day of campaigning in the largest city of the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania.

“We are focused on the future and focused on the needs of the American people,” Harris said, “unlike Donald Trump, who spends all his time looking in the mirror and focusing on himself.”

Speaking at a recreation center in the city, the Democratic vice president singled out young voters, praising them for being “rightly impatient for change” and telling the audience that “so much is at stake” in the campaign.

“We shouldn’t wake up the day after the election and have regrets about what we can do in the next nine days,” Harris said.

Mark Ruffalo and Don Cheadle, two actors who starred in Marvel’s “Avengers” movies, were also at the rally. Harris reminded the crowd that the deadline for early voting in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, telling them to “get it done tomorrow if you can.”

Mobilizing voters in Philadelphia, a traditional Democratic stronghold, is crucial to Harris’ chances of beating Republican candidate Donald Trump. If turnout falls short here, Trump will have a hard time overcoming his advantages in rural Pennsylvania.

“Philadelphia is a very important part of our path to victory,” Harris told reporters. “That’s why I spend time here. “But I’m pretty optimistic about the enthusiasm.”

Kenny Payne, 62, said Harris will win and “it won’t be close to that.” The Democratic voter said he played golf with a group of Republicans who said they would never vote for Trump again.

“I think we’ll all be in bed by midnight,” he said outside the recreation center where Harris was speaking.

Patrick Boe, 46, said he was confident about the city’s interest in Harris, but acknowledged his view might be skewed.

“I’m in a bubble here,” Boe said.

Youth basketball coach Randyll Butler, who introduced Harris, said the draft is in the “fourth quarter.”

“We can’t be tired,” he said. “We can’t be bothered.”

The Democratic coalition relies on voters of color, and Harris’ travel schedule on Sunday reflects that focus. He started the day with the Black congregation at the Church of Christian Mercy, where he said the United States was “committed to turning the page on hatred and division.”

Harris drew on the story of the Apostle Paul, who overcame adversity to spread the word of Jesus.

“In difficult times when we become weary of doing good, we must remember the power at work within us, the divine power that changed Paul’s life, guided him through shipwreck, and sustained him through difficulties,” Harris said.

W. Lonnie Herndon, the church’s senior pastor, introduced Harris as a “voice of the future” and followed her words with compassion and a sermon about how “strong people never bring others down, but rather they lift them up.”

“We’re going to go out and vote,” Harris said as she listened from her front row seat. “And let me be very clear. We do not elect priests. “We’re electing a president who will deal with this divided America and bring us back together.”

His next stop was Philly Cutz, a barbershop in West Philadelphia. Pennsylvania State Representative Jordan Harris moderated a conversation with Harris and Black men about improving racial representation in education. A poster of the first black president, Barack Obama, hung on the wall.

Harris, who will be the second black president and the first female president if elected, said, “We don’t pay teachers enough.” “Student loan debt is a problem.”

Outside the store, people were standing on porches and lining the sidewalks hoping to catch a glimpse of Harris. “White House MVP!” someone shouted.

Harris visited nearby Hakim’s Bookstore, which specializes in African-American history.

“This is beautiful. It’s so beautiful,” she said, and wanted to see good books for 6- and 8-year-olds, the same age as her nieces.

Harris joked with Ann Hughes, the mother of Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes, about her weight.

“They work me to the core,” he said.

After leaving the bookstore, Harris went to a Puerto Rican restaurant called Freddy and Tony’s, where he thanked the volunteers and told them “we’re going to win.”

He also met with young basketball players at the Alan Horowitz “Sixth Man” Center. The coach said the players were “students first, athletes second.” “Think of your brain as a muscle, and when you exercise it, it gets stronger,” Harris told them.

Harris has tried to focus on abortion rights in the final stretch of the campaign, including appearances alongside Beyoncé and Michelle Obama. In an interview aired Sunday on CBS News, Harris declined to say whether she would support any restrictions on abortion, citing Roe v. He emphasized that the Wade trial should be restarted.

“It’s that simple,” Harris said.

Nationwide abortion rights were struck down two years ago by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which included three justices Trump nominated while president.

“My first priority is to reinstate these protections, stop this suffering, and stop this injustice happening in our country,” Harris said.

He also rejected Trump’s claim that he would not sign a national abortion ban if elected. “It says it all, come on,” Harris said. “Do we really trust his word?”

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, are expected to visit all seven battleground states in the coming days as part of the final pre-election blitz.

While Harris was in Philadelphia on Sunday, Walz was campaigning in Las Vegas. On Monday, Walz will visit Manitowoc and Waukesha, Wisconsin, before joining Harris for a rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where singer Maggie Rogers will perform.

Harris will be in the nation’s capital on Tuesday to deliver what her campaign calls her “closing argument” at the Ellipse, a grassy area near the White House. This is the same place where Trump spoke on January 6, 2021, when he urged his Republican supporters to march on the Capitol.

More campaign stops are planned in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.

Copy Story Link