The longtime Democratic mayor of a major city in one of Pennsylvania's most competitive districts believes the Republican Party and the Trump campaign have a stronger connection with voters in this close race than the vice president and his allies. He said that
“I think Democrats are getting an out message by Republicans,” Easton Mayor Salvatore “Sal” Panto Jr. said in an interview with FOX News Digital on Monday.
“There's one commercial where Kamala Harris says, 'Well, this is Bidennomics,' and I think that's hurting the issue, because the Trump campaign is trying to say, 'Things are really bad.' I think I conveyed it well.”
Easton is the county seat of Northampton County, approximately 110 miles north of Philadelphia. They went from voting for former President Donald Trump in 2016 to voting for President Biden in 2020.
Harris plays mashup of Trump's 'enemy' comments after crowd chants 'Lock him up' at Erie rally
Easton Democratic Mayor Salvatore “Sal” Panto Jr. in his office. (Charlie Crates/Fox News Digital)
Punt, a popular moderate Democrat who has served six consecutive terms as president since 1984, said that if the party identifies that President Trump's statements are false, it should pursue them thoroughly. added.
“I know in running my campaign that it's easier to glorify the negative than the positive, and that's what I think.” [Trump] are doing very well. I mean, we know he's lying about things, we prove he's lying, but then it drops. And I don't think we should leave it alone,” he said.
“You get that kind of thing better on Stephen Colbert's show tonight than you do on Kamala Harris' campaign. She should point out that his 2025 plans are very different from hers.” “And she's not afraid to talk about her plans.”
Easton is one of three cities, along with Allentown and Bethlehem, that make up the Keystone State's diverse and electorally important Lehigh Valley.
Allentown is the largest in Pennsylvania and the third largest in the state, while Bethlehem, both counties, has long been known for its steel mills and as a leafy college town that embraces a “Christmas City” identity each winter. I did.
Easton, located across the Delaware River from Phillipsburg, New Jersey, is a multifaceted city that is home to Lafayette College, the Crayola Company, several historic sites, and several famous people, including former boxing champion Larry Holmes.
Trends are good for what swing county Republican Party chair calls 'Little Pennsylvania': A repeat of 2016.
Center Square at Third and Northampton Streets in Easton, Pennsylvania. (Reuters)
Punt said College Hill, where Lafayette is located, was once a Republican stronghold during his early terms, but was not a right-wing stronghold per se.
The town's Democrats are conservative, while the Republicans are moderate, following the trend of former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Calif.) from the area, saying, “Today, it's a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans.” he said.
This voting bloc is crucial to both of this year's leading candidates, with both Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump welcoming members of each other's party into their ranks.
Ms. Harris recently welcomed the support of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and during her time in office, Mr. Trump has supported West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Wyo.).・We celebrated John's change of party affiliation.
In this regard, Punt said political extremes harm both parties, and in the case of Easton, College Hill's “liberal Republicans” and the city's moderate Democrats tend to complement each other.
“I don't believe in the fringe. I think the fringe is hurting both political parties…I believe the economy will be the biggest issue.” [this election]” he said.
“Inflation is down, interest rates are down, investment is up. But that's not the message. I think the Democrats are very bad at messaging. I think Donald Trump is much better at messaging. I think it's much easier to argue with opposing views.''People want to hear the negative things, but they don't want to hear the positive things. ”
A PA town is buzzing over plans to build immigrant housing in a civil war-era orphanage building
Easton, Pennsylvania, seen from atop the former Lehigh Valley Railroad viaduct on the city's south side. (Reuters)
Because of its popularity, the Lehigh Valley has attracted a lot of attention from third parties, especially on Harris' billboards and along Interstate 78 and Route 22, which are crossed by thousands of commuters and tourists each day. It is decorated with PAC and supporter signs.
“I've never done a national campaign, so I know you have to judge your case and you have to experiment. But when you look at the billboards in the Lehigh Valley, they say Kamala Harris is on the ballot. “I'm there” [increasing the] minimum wage. Minimum wage doesn't matter.”
“No one is paying minimum wage because they can't hire employees.The unemployment rate is down to 2.1%. [what] What they need to talk about in the Valley is lowering the prices of goods, not raising the minimum wage. ”
He pointed out that the once industrial Lehigh Valley has been transformed into a commercial center for warehousing and other industries, creating jobs for workers that pay more than $23 an hour, regardless of the federal minimum standards.
Pant predicted the election would likely come down to GOTV or the campaign's “get out the vote” efforts.
He said that when he is re-elected, his critics often put a lot of energy into voting, but the dynamic of voting “no” on someone is not ideal in any way. I joked.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“That's not why you vote. The reason you vote is to vote for the best person. And when you look at the experience and the vision, I think Kamala Harris should win,” he said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
