The Harris-Walz campaign announced on Sunday that Democratic vice presidential nominee, Governor Tim Walz, will be heading to North Carolina to kick off early voting.
Walz is set to hold a campaign event in Durham on Thursday, October 17, coinciding with the first day that North Carolinians can participate in in-person voting for the upcoming fall election. Individuals who have not yet registered will also have the opportunity to register and vote on this same day during the early voting period, which extends through Saturday, November 2.
This will be Walz’s second visit to the Triangle region as part of the Democratic ticket. The Minnesota governor previously traveled to Raleigh shortly after receiving the vice presidential nomination in August, where he engaged with campaign volunteers, shared a milkshake with Governor Roy Cooper, and attended a private fundraiser. His visit is part of a continuous stream of appearances by candidates from both major parties in the lead-up to the election over the next three weeks.
Walz’s upcoming trip will follow just four days after Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris visits the state. Harris arrived in Raleigh on Saturday evening to assist in packing aid boxes for hurricane-affected communities at a downtown restaurant. She is scheduled to hold a rally in Greenville later today.
The simultaneous presence of both members of the Democratic ticket in North Carolina and an eastern North Carolina bus tour led by former President Bill Clinton this week indicates the Democrats’ strategy to secure the state’s electoral votes for the first time since 2008. Walz’s planned visit to the predominantly Democratic city of Durham aims to energize the voter base as early voting begins, reinforcing their get-out-the-vote efforts.