Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday will tout her GOP support in a bid to attract Trump-wary Republicans and independents in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the most purplish of Philadelphia’s suburbs.
More than 100 Republicans will join Ms. Harris at a rally in Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania, near the site where George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River. Later, she will try to hammer home her anti-Trump message to a conservative audience when she is interviewed on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”
Among the Republicans who lay out why they are crossing party lines to back Ms. Harris in this year’s election are former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and six Republican ex-members of Congress.
Those former representatives are Barbara Comstock and Denver Riggleman of Virginia, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Chris Says of Connecticut, David Trott of Michigan and Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania, who represented Bucks County during the 1990s.
Also joining Ms. Harris will be former Trump aides and other Republicans.
The Harris campaign said the vice president will issue a bipartisan call to “put country above party” in the election, urging Republicans to buck former President Donald Trump and support her.
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Campaign officials say Ms. Harris will issue a broad call for unity, urging “Republicans of good conscience” to join her and “turn the page on the chaos and instability of Trump.”
She will also reiterate her claim that she would be a president “for all Americans,” by emphasizing her pledge to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet and establish a council on bipartisan solutions that will include members of both parties.
Ms. Harris will also discuss how she reached across the aisle to work with Republicans during her time in the Senate, campaign officials said.
Bucks County is the most purple of the “collar counties” surrounding Philadelphia and a contentious battleground of its own within the swing state of Pennsylvania. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in the county by a mere 280 voters. In 2020, President Biden won Bucks County by 17,000 votes while in 2016, Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Mr. Trump by less than 2,000 votes.
Both campaigns have made extensive visits to Bucks County. Last month, Mr. Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, held a campaign rally in Newtown. The next day, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan campaigned for Ms. Harris in nearby Bensalem.
Also last month second gentleman Doug Emhoff stopped by a Philadelphia Eagles watch party in Levittown to drum up support for Ms. Harris.
The event is part of Ms. Harris’ aggressive pursuit of Republican voters in battleground states. Last month, she hosted an event in Wisconsin with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, perhaps Mr. Trump’s fiercest Republican critic.
On Monday, the campaign announced a $370 million advertising buy in swing states featuring Republicans who back Ms. Harris, including John Giles, the GOP mayor of Mesa, Arizona. The ads will run on television networks, including Fox News, in swing states.
Ms. Harris also invited several Republicans to speak at the Democratic National Convention in August.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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