HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro held his first Dauphin County rally on Thursday evening in Harrisburg.
Shapiro holds an 11-point lead over Republican opponent Doug Mastriano, according to FiveThirtyEight’s latest polling average.
Democratic Party leaders in Pennsylvania are still working to energize their base to boost voter turnout on Election Day.
“Forget the polls. We cannot take this election for granted,” Dauphin County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Rogette Harris said at the Shapiro rally.
Voters at the rally described a range of issues they deemed most important this election.
“Home healthcare rights, Medicaid, and all the other things that affect us,” said Ephrata resident Chris Cairy, a member of SEIU Healthcare home care workers.
“As a woman, abortion is hugely important,” said Anna Levin of Hampden Township, Cumberland County. “Healthcare, education, immigration, climate change. I mean, all of the issues are super important this year.”
“Criminal justice reform because individuals coming home, such as ourselves, that are striving to do positive things in the community, we like to have our voices heard,” said Harrisburg resident Emanuel Thomas, a member of the community outreach program Breaking the Chainz.
Shapiro’s campaign is also appealing to independent and Republican voters by addressing issues that they regard as more urgent. Crime, for example, is rated “extremely important” for 27% of Democrats this election and 55% of Republicans, according to a Gallup poll.
“We’re gonna hire more police officers when I’m governor,” Shapiro told supporters at the rally. “We’re gonna make sure they are properly trained, from the communities they are sworn to serve and protect, and look like the people that they are interacting with every day.”
Shapiro will hold four more campaign events Friday in four counties: Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe and Luzerne.
Doug Mastriano held his own rally Thursday in Chester County, where he called to ban teaching critical race theory and remove books he deems offensive from schools, and to end vaccine and masking requirements for jobs.