Tim Walz connects with rural voters and holds rally in Pittsburgh during Western Pennsylvania visit
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) -- Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, was in the Pittsburgh area on Tuesday for campaign events and a rally.
Walz started his day in Western Pennsylvania speaking to rural voters at a farm in Volant, Lawrence County. While speaking to the crowd of about 100 people for about 30 minutes, Walz talked about farming, small-town values, being a united country and issues like gun rights.
"When people think rural America, farm policy matters," Walz said. "Crop insurance matters. Trade matters, tariff matters. But you're bigger than that. Your families, your health care matters, your education matters, your roads matter, your retirement matters, all those things matter."
After the event, Walz stopped by The Bloom Cafe at Quality Gardens in Valencia, Butler County. He stressed the importance of getting the margins down in rural areas in the tight presidential race.
It was all part of an effort to get the Democratic vice presidential nominee into rural areas that have voted predominantly for Republican candidates in the last two elections.
Walz finished his three-county tour with a rally in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium. A campaign spokesperson says this was Walz's third trip to Pittsburgh.
JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president will be in Pittsburgh on Thursday to deliver remarks at The Pennsylvanian.
Harris and Trump focusing on Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh has been a hotbed for visits from candidates aiming to win Pennsylvania, the largest of the seven battleground states. The state has 19 electoral votes and is a crucial key to the election.
Vice President Kamala Harris has visited Pennsylvania more than a dozen times this year already, including several stops since launching her presidential campaign. Harris was in Pittsburgh earlier this month to push her proposed economic plan.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, was in the Pittsburgh area earlier this month for a rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, the same place where he was the victim of an assassination attempt in July.
He has plans to return to the area this weekend. Trump will deliver remarks at a campaign event at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Saturday.
Pennsylvania presidential election polls
Recent CBS News polling shows that the race remains a tight contest with Harris having a slight lead over Trump, 51% to 48% nationally among likely voters, and 50% to 49% in battleground states.
In 2020, President Biden won the state by less than 81,000 votes. Former President Trump won the state in 2016 by just over 44,000 votes.
