Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan governor hold 'Harris for President' rally in Montgomery County
AMBLER, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- With less than 100 days until the November election, a 'Harris for President' rally was held in Montgomery County on Monday afternoon.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer headlined the event at Wissahickon High School.
Both Shapiro and Whitmer were floated as potential replacements for President Joe Biden before they pledged support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The two delivered fiery speeches during the joint event on behalf of Harris' 2024 presidential bid.
SEE ALSO | Buzz continues to surround Gov. Josh Shapiro as Kamala Harris decides on running mate
"Vice President Harris has been battle-tested. She is ready to not just be the standard bearer of our party, but to be the 47th president of the United States of America," Shapiro said.
"I want a future with better schools and safer streets, and I want a future with more freedom, not less," he added. "I want a future where I can look the 47th president of the United States in the eye and say, 'Hello, Madam President.'"
Shapiro is reported to be on Harris' shortlist of picks for vice president, while Whitmer has effectively taken herself out of the running as a VP contender.
"Michiganders and Pennsylvanians have a big job. Over the next 99 days, we are on the front lines. We sealed the deal for Joe Biden, let's seal the deal for our next president, Kamala Harris," Whitmer said at the rally.
While local supporters of Donald Trump gathered outside of the high school, local Harris supporters packed the gymnasium.
"We see hope now," Arnold Meshkov from Abington told Action News. "Whereas with Joe Biden, as much as we respected him and liked him, we knew his time was coming to an end."
Meanwhile, Trump was on the campaign trail over the weekend.
"A Kamala Harris presidency means four more years of extremism, weakness, failure, chaos, and probably World War III," Trump told the crowd during a rally in Minnesota.
A set of polls published on Friday by Fox News found Trump and Harris about evenly matched among registered voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
This week, Trump is set to return to the Keystone State for the first time since the assassination attempt.
His campaign said he is planning to hold a rally in Harrisburg on Wednesday evening.
Action News spoke with Christopher Nicholas, a veteran Republican political consultant, about what the Trump campaign needs to focus on in Pennsylvania.
Nicholas said the biggest question for Pennsylvania Republicans is, 'Will Josh Shapiro be Harris' running mate?'
If not, Nicholas said Trump will have to get 49% of the vote in Pennsylvania this November.
"It's a matter of holding down your losses in the city, and the suburban counties, and maximizing in the three ex-urban counties: Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton. And then, running up the margins in rural Pennsylvania," Nicholas explained.
