Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday exuded confidence about her prospects in must-win Pennsylvania.
Ms. Harris visited Johnstown, Pennsylvania, stopping at a small bookstore where she promoted her plan to help small businesses.
“I am feeling very good about Pennsylvania because there are a lot of people in Pennsylvania who deserve to be seen and heard. That’s why I’m here in Johnstown and I will be continuing to travel around the state to make sure I’m listening as much as we are talking,” she told reporters at the stop, about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh.
“Ultimately, I feel very strongly that you’ve got to earn every vote,” Ms. Harris said. “And that means spending time with folks in the communities that they live, so that’s why I’m here.”
The bookstore, Classic Elements Inc., describes itself as an eclectic independent bookstore. It also has a wine bar and sells women’s clothes along with locally made pottery, jewelry and glass art.
Ms. Harris also had a campaign stop Friday on the eastern side of the state in Wilkes-Barre.
On Tuesday, she debated former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia and did her debate prep while holed up in a Pittsburgh hotel. The next day Ms. Harris traveled with President Biden to Shanskville to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks at the memorial to Flight 93.
She has visited Pennsylvania six times since Mr. Biden dropped out of the race and she stepped in as his replacement on the Democratic ticket. Mr. Trump also has been to the state six times in the same period.
Polls show Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump are in a dead heat in the state, which carries 19 electoral votes. Mr. Trump won the state in 2016 but lost it to Mr. Biden in 2020.
At the bookstore, Ms. Harris chatted with the owner and about two dozen patrons, stressing the importance of community gathering spots.
“You’ve created a space that is a safe space, where people are welcome and know they’re encouraged to be with each other and feel a sense of belonging,” she said. “And in the midst of so many forces that are trying to make people feel alone or divide us, I think it’s really important that we are intentional about creating a safe space.”
Ms. Harris chose the location to talk about her plan to help small businesses. She has proposed increasing federal tax incentives for small business startups by tenfold, raising it to $50,000 from $5,000. Her campaign says that would spur 25 million new small business applications over her four-year term should she win in November.
The proposal would also allow new small businesses to allocate the tax deduction across multiple years or claim the full $50,000 deduction once they turn a profit.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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