Hundreds of Pennsylvania’s rural Democratic voters attended the weekend event known as “Demstock,” which is similar to Woodstock but focused on politics. Attendees expressed feelings of isolation in their Republican-dominated communities and hoped to increase the margins in the upcoming election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in the battleground state. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of rural Democrats in the state’s political landscape.
The event, which began as a small backyard pig roast, has grown in significance given the state’s narrow margins in presidential elections. Both the Harris-Walz campaign and Trump’s Pennsylvania campaign are investing resources in rural areas, recognizing the role these voters play in the election outcome. Democrats at the event aimed to thin out Trump’s margins in the state rather than turn red counties blue.
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is focusing on getting their message out to rural voters, along with energizing urban and suburban bases. Democrats believe that engaging the rural electorate is crucial for victory in the upcoming election. Despite the challenges of being in heavily Republican areas, rural Democrats are dedicated to increasing voter turnout and narrowing the margins for the Democratic candidates. The road to the White House, they believe, goes through rural Pennsylvania.
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