Kamala Harris comes to Raleigh on Wednesday. Motorcade may snarl traffic
Vice President Kamala Harris will appear at a campaign rally in Raleigh on Wednesday. How she gets there may affect your midday drive.
The Harris-Walz campaign hasn’t disclosed where Harris will be speaking, but Raleigh police say drivers should expect delays near Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, the amphitheater off Sunnybrook and Rock Quarry roads in Southeast Raleigh.
The White House says Harris is scheduled to arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport shortly after 11 a.m. and begin speaking at 12:30 p.m. Harris plans to appear in Pennsylvania and then Madison, Wisconsin, later in the day.
How Harris will get to her destination isn’t known. The Coastal Credit Union amphitheater is on the far side of downtown Raleigh from the airport. That would likely put her motorcade on Interstate 40.
The State Highway Patrol and local police usually clear the way for visiting vice presidents and their entourage, closing off the roads as they move about. The disruptions are temporary but can take a bit to untangle.
Harris is expected to return to RDU by 2:20 p.m., when she’s scheduled to leave for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
With polls showing the presidential race virtually tied in North Carolina, both Democrat Harris, Republican Donald Trump and their running mates have made several visits to the state in recent days and weeks.
Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Charlotte and Asheville.
Meanwhile, Trump will hold a rally 60 miles east in Rocky Mount on Wednesday afternoon, and his running mate, JD Vance, is scheduled to lead a town hall event in High Point on Thursday morning.
The crowd at the Harris rally in Raleigh will be made up of people who signed up in advance. They were told that the final time and location would be disclosed just prior to the event.
The goal of the rally, according to the Harris-Walz campaign, is to encourage Democrats to vote early.
Nearly 3.2 million North Carolina residents have already cast their ballots, representing nearly 41% of registered voters in the state, according to the State Board of Elections. The election takes place Nov. 5.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
