NC in presidential campaign spotlight as VP Harris makes plans to visit again
Vice President Kamala Harris plans to return to Charlotte on June 12 in her fourth stop on a nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour.
The tour has taken her to Atlanta, Milwaukee and Detroit and has allowed Harris to highlight how the Biden administration says it has “built economic opportunities, supported communities and delivered historic investments.”
“President Biden and I are committed to creating an economy in which every person has the freedom to thrive,” Harris said when the tour launched in April. “That is why we have taken historic steps to advance economic opportunity by increasing access to capital, investing in small businesses, addressing housing costs, forgiving student loans and medical debt, investing in infrastructure, and championing additional policies that put money in people’s pockets and build wealth. Our economic approach has delivered great progress, and we will continue to invest in you, your family, and your future.”
Harris’ visit marks her fifth to North Carolina since 2024 began and her 13th trip to the Tar Heel State since being sworn into office.
She last visited Charlotte in April to announce $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants. President Joe Biden and Harris made a rare joint appearance in March in Raleigh.
North Carolina is considered a battleground state, despite President Barack Obama being the only Democrat to win since 1976. In 2020, Trump defeated Biden by a narrow 1.3% in North Carolina, as Biden went on to win the nationwide vote.
Biden, Harris and their surrogates have made a concerted effort to focus on North Carolina during the 2024 campaign as they try to flip the state blue. Early on, the campaign saw North Carolina as a state to target. Two weeks ago, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison visited Eastern North Carolina, where he focused on rural and Black voters and opened two field offices.
The state also got a visit from former President Donald Trump last week when he attended the Coca-Cola 600 race.
Trump last week was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The Biden campaign and the administration have largely shied away from discussing Trump’s latest court battles.
This story was originally published June 3, 2024 at 4:18 PM with the headline "NC in presidential campaign spotlight as VP Harris makes plans to visit again."