‘We are a coalition.’ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rallies voters in State College for Harris
Hundreds of Penn State students and community members gathered Friday at The State Theatre to hear U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speak in support of the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket.
Before doors opened to the 5:45 p.m. event, lines snaked down College Avenue, with many people wearing Harris campaign shirts or lime green pins reading "kamala is brat," in honor of the social media trend embraced by the Harris campaign.
Even once the 591-seat theater hit capacity, about a hundred people waited outside as Ocasio-Cortez's speech was played through the speakers.
After being introduced by State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York's 14th district, gave a 23-minute speech in which she spoke about health care, women's reproductive rights and working within the Democratic caucus. She urged attendees to not only go out and vote but to ensure those in their communities vote as well.
"It's just the beginning," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And that, to me, is the message for us to tell our folks who aren't sure about whether they should sit out or not. Because to me, that's the real swing voter in this election. It's not about red or blue — it's about couch or booth."
Ocasio-Cortez, who campaigned virtually for Biden in 2020, is on the stump for the first time this fall for Harris and Walz. While rallying voters for the Democratic ticket, she also emphasized the importance of continued advocacy and involvement after the election.
"I support them in winning this ticket," Ocasio-Cortez said. "But we know that we can't buy into this notion that change in our government happens from one person, whether it's them or me or anybody else — it comes from mass movement politics."
Throughout her speech, Ocasio-Cortez spoke about working together in the Democratic coalition, even when members disagreed. For Ocasio-Cortez, it is about the common ground between members rather than their differences.
"The Democratic Party is a big tent, I'm not here to brush that under the rug," she said. "We don't all believe all of the same things. We are a coalition."
Madonna Akabuno, a sophomore at Penn State, said part of her reason for attending the event was her longtime admiration of Ocasio-Cortez and her passion about the upcoming election. With Akabuno's major concerns about women's reproductive health and police immunity laws, this election is vital.
"I feel like democracy is at stake if the other opponent were to win," Akabuno said. "I think it's important to go out and vote and vote for Harris and Walz in order to protect these things that I feel are right."
Although marketed as a Students for Harris event, many members of the crowd were not Penn State students, but rather community members passionate about Harris' policies and positions on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, women's reproductive health and the country's economic future.
Denise St. Pierre, a community member who attended the event, said she was pleasantly surprised to see the diversity in age at the event.
"Not sure what I was going to find when I came down here, and I thought for sure I would be one among many students," St. Pierre said. "And was really not that way at all. I love that, because, quite honestly, we're a community together here."
While Harris, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and their running mates have made repeated campaign appearances throughout the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, none have yet visited Happy Valley .
Still, Ocasio-Cortez's event was part of a busy week for political activity in Centre County as the Nov. 5 election inches closer. On Thursday night, hundreds showed up on Penn State's campus to hear former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speak as part of Turning Point USA's "You're Being Brainwashed" tour.
On Sunday, Governors Josh Shapiro, Tony Evers and Gretchen Whitmer will bring the Driving Forward Blue Wall Bus Tour to State College to campaign for Harris.
