Vice President Kamala Harris made two campaign stops in North Carolina Thursday, rallying first in Charlotte and ending the day in Greensboro for her first public appearances after debating Republican nominee Donald Trump Tuesday.
This marks the Democratic nominee’s ninth trip to North Carolina this year and second visit to the state since announcing her presidential candidacy nearly eight weeks ago.
According to a poll conducted by YouGov, 54% of voters think Harris won the debate, compared to Trump’s 31%. Two days later, Harris took advantage of the enthusiasm her performance generated among her supporters.
At the Greensboro rally, she called for another debate against Trump, who had posted minutes earlier on Truth Social that he would not be open to debating Harris again.
“I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate,” she said in Charlotte. “Because this election and what is at stake could not be more important.”
In Charlotte, the vice president emphasized the importance of voting for Democrats down the ballot. She criticized N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — Republican gubernatorial candidate — for being “hand-picked by Donald Trump” and for advocating for a complete abortion ban.
She also expressed her support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and repeated talking points about expanding access to reproductive health care, gun control and her “opportunity economy” policy plan.
Harris’ North Carolina appearances kicked off the start of her “New Way Forward” campaign targeting key swing states.
The state has emerged as a priority for the campaign — notably, both President Joe Biden and Harris chose to visit North Carolina for their first appearances after their June 27 and Sept. 10 debates, respectively. With 16 electoral college votes, tied for eighth most of any state, flipping North Carolina would be a crucial asset to the Harris campaign.
North Carolina has not voted for a Democratic president since 2008 when Barack Obama defeated Republican John McCain, but Trump’s margin of victory was only 1.3 points in 2020. The state has had a Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, since 2017.
Current polls show Trump and Harris approximately tied in North Carolina, with Harris leading by 0.3 points as of Thursday night.
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Claire Cranford is a Trinity sophomore and features managing editor for the news department.