WS Chronicle

On the first day of Early Voting in North Carolina, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz made a campaign stop right here in Winston-Salem. Walz held a rally at Carver High School where he talked about Vice President Kamala Harris’s plans if elected president and the impact voters in North Carolina can have on the race to the White House.

Thousands of people packed into Alfred Poe Gymnasium hours before Gov. Walz was scheduled to arrive and hundreds more lined the streets of Carver School Road. Before Walz arrived there was a performance by Grammy, Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winning artist Common. Speakers at the event included State Rep. Amber Baker, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, David Adeleye, voter protection director for N.C. Coordinated Campaign, and Tamika Walker Kelly, president of N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE). 

Walz arrived at Smith Reynolds Airport just after 7 p.m., where he was greeted by N.C. Sen. Paul Lowe, Mayor Pro Tem. Denise ‘DD’ Adams, Forsyth County Commissioner Malishai Woodbury, and Forsyth County Democratic Party Chair Jenny Marshall.

During his address Walz, who is the Governor of Minnesota, talked about the differences between Vice President Harris’s plans for a new way forward that protects our rights and freedoms and builds economic opportunity for all Americans and Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda. 

“Kamala understands that the economy works best when it’s fair for everyone. And she isn’t just talking about it, she’s laid out a plan to show us the way … 100 million Americans will get a tax cut under Kamala Harris,” Walz said. 

Walz also discussed Harris’s plans for Social Security and Medicare, help for small businesses, creating more affordable housing opportunities, and abortion rights. He told the crowd that Harris would be a president for all Americans who will fight for the rights of all Americans. With the countdown to Election Day at less than 15 days, Walz said although they may be underdogs, he’s still confident and believes the Trump campaign is running out of steam. 

“This country is divided, this is close, and we’re going to be underdogs. I’m OK with that because I look at this room, all of the work we’ve done … all the phone calls, all the door knocking, all the rallies. You know what it’s all about? That little sticker that says I voted. We’ve got to get everybody to get the little sticker that says I voted … Vote and vote early tomorrow morning.” 

Walz continued,  “We’ve got 19 days to protect women’s healthcare, to protect the environment, to do something about gun violence, all of those things are within our reach … We are running for a better way forward, a place where all people matter.”

According to the latest polls, Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are virtually tied in North Carolina. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. To find early voting sites and schedules, visit the Forsyth County Board of Elections website: https://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/default.aspx, or call 336-703-2800.