Tomorrow, Nov 5, 2024, is the presidential election. All past events have led to this point as we, as a nation, await the conclusion.
July 21, 2024, the presidential race took a drastic turn when President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
After the first presidential debate, the media became concerned about Biden’s age and wellness. Now, former President Donald Trump is the oldest running presidential candidate in history. Harris’s running mate is Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Trump is running with J.D. Vance, a senator from Ohio.
The second presidential debate between Harris and Trump was Sept. 10, 2024. The three main topics discussed were abortion, immigration, and the economy. Both sides have very different viewpoints on all of those issues.
Trump wants to give tax cuts to the middle class; he wants abortion to be in the hands of the states, and he wants immigration controlled.
Harris wants Roe restored, wants to give tax cuts and financial aid to the middle class, and wants to create a bi-partisan border bill to control immigration.
Starting with abortion, Harris wants to restore Roe and blames Trump for appointing the Supreme Court justices who voted to end Roe. Trump has said he is proud he ended Roe and he said having it back to the states “is what the people wanted.” Harris’ stance is “we are not going back.” The face of her campaign is about looking and moving forward.
With immigration, Harris wants to have a bill and enforcement to control it and she wants it to be safe for people to enter the country and safe for people already living in the country. Trump’s take on immigration includes building a wall, and he states, “millions and millions of illegal aliens flow into our country every month.” Trump wants to deport them.
For the economy, Harris wants to give tax cuts to the middle class, give financial aid to new homeowners, businesses, and parents, and she wants the middle class to pay less taxes than millionaires. Trump has said that he wants to give tax cuts to the middle class, enact 20 percent tariffs on imported goods, and deport immigrants to make housing easier for Americans.
Lastly, with gun violence, Harris wants to have stronger laws for background checks and the availability of guns. Trump wants to keep the Second Amendment and protect gun owner laws.
The presidential race is not the only race taking place. The two bigger elections within Monroe County are the state representative and senate races. Running for state reps are Democrat Matt Cartwright and Republican Rob Bresnahan. The senate election is between Democrat Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick.
State representatives create bills for different districts of the state and act as congressmen and congresswomen. Senators enact the bills that the state reps draw up.
Pennsylvania has been a key state in this election. Pennsylvania is considered a swing state, which means it can lean either blue or red depending on the candidates. Governor Josh Shapiro has played a role in helping Harris campaign around Pennsylvania.
President Zelensky of Ukraine visited Pennsylvania in September to speak with Harris and Shapiro which was an attention seeker for some undecided voters. The eyes of the country have not left Pennsylvania this election and it will continue to draw attention as the days after the election follow.
Pennsylvania polls open from seven in the morning to eight at night. Please get out to vote on Tuesday, Nov 5.
