BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — Hundreds of Democratic supporters and counter-protesters are expected to descend on Freedom High School on Saturday morning for a Democratic rally featuring vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Walz's visit to the Lehigh Valley hasn't been a secret. But the location for his first visit to the region as Kamala Harris' vice presidential candidate had been kept under wraps until late Friday afternoon.
Those who RSVP'd to attend earlier in the week got instructions for the rally. Walk-ups won't be admitted inside the school. Only those with confirmed RSVPs will be eligible for access, according to the campaign instructions.
Doors open at Freedom High at 8:30 a.m. and folks need to be in place by 10:45 a.m. An earlier advisory from the campaign said Walz would deliver remarks at 11:30 a.m.
The two-term Minnesota governor has quickly risen from relative obscurity to Harris' running mate on the Nov. 5 ballot thanks in part to his plain-spoken speaking style.
Before being tapped as Harris’ VP pick, he went viral when he labeled former President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. JD Vance as “just weird” for their focus on divisiveness.
“It’s not about hate. It’s not about collapsing in. The golden rule there [in rural, midwestern communities] is mind your own damn business,” Walz said on “Morning Joe” in late July.
For both Harris and Trump, Pennsylvania is critical to their chances of winning the presidency.
Vance, who is Trump's vice presidential running mate, will also be in eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday. He’s scheduled to campaign in the afternoon at the Berks County Fairgrounds in Bern Township.
Freedom as host
Walz's visit to Freedom – one of two public high schools in Bethlehem – materialized in the past two days, said Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Jack Silva.
Under district policy, any eligible campaign may lease school facilities; it does not play partisan favorites, he said.
Still, he said, there was some karma to hosting Walz this weekend. Like Walz, Silva is a former social studies teacher. And when Freedom High School was dedicated 60 years ago, Vice President Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota gave the address.
“There’s a little bit of irony in those two facts,” Silva said.
He declined to disclose how much the campaign was paying to lease school property this weekend.
Presidential hopefuls and their proxies have logged hundreds of visits to Pennsylvania this election cycle, hoping to win the battleground state and its 19 Electoral College votes.
Battleground
The Lehigh Valley, as a critical swing region, has drawn its fair share of attention. President Joe Biden, Trump and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have all swung through the region this year.
The Harris-Walz campaign has heavily focused on Latino voters in their outreach to the Lehigh Valley. That may continue Saturday as Walz is expected to be joined by Anthony Ramos, an original cast member of the Broadway smash “Hamilton,” and Emmy-winning actress Liza Colón-Zayas.
Maca Casado, the coalition media director for Harris-Walz, said the campaign has worked to present messengers that local Latinos can relate to. Earning their support could be enough to tip Pennsylvania to Democrats, and with it, the White House, she said.
