Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris heaped pressure on North Carolina voters Wednesday, telling supporters in Asheville they will decide the presidential race and the direction of the nation.
“The outcome of this race will in very many ways be decided by you, North Carolina. It will be,” Ms. Harris, a senator from California, said. “In that way, the choices and the decisions you are making will impact people around the country.”
Polls show the race in North Carolina is a dead heat.
North Carolina is one of six states with at least 15 electoral votes that President Trump relied on to win in 2016. The others are Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The president is set to rally in Gaston County, an area west of Charlotte, late Wednesday — moments after Ms. Harris campaigns within the city.
Ms. Harris’ 15-minute speech in Asheville focused heavily on the coronavirus, which has killed over 221,000 people in the U.S. She said Mr. Trump flubbed the response by straying from science.
And she highlighted the administration’s decision to back a lawsuit before the Supreme Court that could eliminate Obamacare. The senator said Mr. Trump doesn’t have a plan beyond dismantling anything with his predecessor’s name on it.
“It’s just this weird obsession, right?” Ms. Harris said.
She also scolded the Senate GOP for focusing on the Supreme Court vacancy, saying the push is taking precedent over coronavirus-stimulus negotiations even as families wait in “food lines for hours.”
“They’re pushing through this nomination instead of saying, ‘Vote on that bill,’” Ms. Harris said in Asheville.
“Including one senator from this state,” she said, before lowering her voice. “You know who I’m talking about.”
She’s referring to Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who is locked in a tough reelection battle against Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham.
Mr. Cunningham is reeling from revelations he sent illicit text messages to a woman who is not his wife.
The Democrats said it is a personal matter, but the situation is bewildering senior Democrats who feel their ability to retake the Senate could depend on a Cunningham win.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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