On October 11, 2024, as Hurricane “Milton” hit Florida, bringing deadly storm surges to most areas along the Gulf Coast, the U.S. presidential campaign activities continued despite the natural disaster. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit Nevada and Arizona, while former President Donald Trump will address economic issues in Michigan.
Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, followed by a speech at the Economic Club of Detroit. Meanwhile, Harris is in Las Vegas attending a Univision town hall meeting and is scheduled to participate in an evening rally in Phoenix. She is also in close contact with the White House, overseeing federal disaster relief efforts.
President Joe Biden described Hurricane Milton as “looking like a storm of the century.” He postponed his trips to Germany and Angola to deal with the aftermath of the hurricane. He and Harris, along with senior officials, discussed disaster relief efforts in the situation room.
Amidst the hurricane’s impact, both Harris and Trump’s campaign teams strategically utilize their travels to increase support from key voting groups that could sway what is expected to be a closely contested election.
Trump emphasized campaigning in areas with a significant Hispanic population in Pennsylvania, including Reading, where he held a rally on Wednesday. Harris, on the other hand, is targeting the western region to garner support from local Hispanic voters, particularly male voters. Her campaign team launched a group called “Hombres con Harris” this week.
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, joined Congressman Ruben Gallego (Arizona Democrat) and actor Jaime Camil at the launch event of “Hombres con Harris” group. Similar gatherings were held in other areas of Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
The group plans to organize barbecue and various community events in places owned by Latino small businesses and unions before election day.
Harris’ campaign team also planned for campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez to attend a recent boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas, as well as events in churches and other venues to commemorate Mexican Independence Day in September to engage Hispanic voters who may not be following the election closely.
Last month, Harris’ campaign team announced a $3 million investment in advertising on Spanish-language radio, focusing on sports events like baseball and boxing matches.
Former President Barack Obama is also set to begin his campaign tour starting Thursday night, attending a rally in Pittsburgh to show support for Harris.
Harris’ campaign team stated that this will be one of several campaign events Obama will attend on behalf of the vice president. President Biden held a campaign event in the Philadelphia suburbs on Monday, but since announcing his withdrawal from the race in July and endorsing Harris, he has only appeared alongside Harris once in Pittsburgh on Labor Day.
Obama is one of the key Democratic figures behind encouraging Biden’s withdrawal from the race. He has had a twenty-year relationship with Harris since campaigning for her when she supported his Senate bid in Illinois. In 2008, when Obama ran for president, she campaigned for him.
(This article is based on reports from The Associated Press)