Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Visit Maricopa County on “Soul of the Nation” Bus Tour
Biden and Harris Meet with Tribal Leaders, Small Business Owners as Early Voting Gets Underway
Thursday, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris met with community leaders, supporters, and voters in Phoenix and Tempe as part of their “Soul of the Nation” Bus Tour. The Arizona trip marks their first joint campaign appearance since they were officially nominated to the Democratic ticket.
In Phoenix, they first met with tribal leaders at the Heard Museum, just as the campaign officially released the Biden-Harris Plan for Tribal Nations.
They were then joined by Cindy McCain, and together they toured the American Indian Veterans National Memorial.
Vice President Biden and Senator Harris then headed to Carpenters Local Union 1912 to deliver remarks focused on their plans to help Arizona recover from COVID-19 and build back better. They were introduced by Legends Event Center owner Vanessa Montes-Cazarez, who voted early for the Biden-Harris ticket just before taking the stage.
“[Arizona small businesses] know that Vice President Biden and Senator Harris understand the value of hard work. They understand that my business is more than just where I work: it’s a part of who I am. They understand that we measure how good our economy is doing by how well our workers are doing, whether their wages are going up, and whether their families are able to save a bit to get ahead, and whether their kids have a better life ahead of them. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have a plan to help us build back better,” Montes-Cazarez said. “This choice has never been easier…I am voting not just for me — I am voting for my whole family, for my six beautiful children, and for their future. For my fellow Latinos. There’s so much on the line, but I have faith that we will elect the leaders that will restore the soul of our nation.
The two then boarded the bus to embark on their “Soul of the Nation” Bus Tour, first visiting Barrio Café and Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza. Esparza has appeared in two of the campaign’s television and digital ads: “No Escucha” and “Sí Se Puede, Hope Again”.
Their second stop was to FABRIC in Tempe, where they toured the fabric incubator as workers were sewing reusable hospital gowns.
See below for more highlights and local coverage:
Associated Press: Biden, Harris aim to tip battleground Arizona for Democrats
[Jonathan Cooper, Alexandra Jaffe, Bill Barrow, 10/8/20]
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris pitched an economic message Thursday during their first joint appearance on the campaign trail, hammering President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a failure to address the needs of working Americans.
[…]
Early voting began this week in Arizona, and both Biden and Harris placed a heavy emphasis on the importance of getting to the polls. Speaking of Republicans, Biden warned that “they’re setting up the argument that these votes aren’t gonna matter,” and mentioned Trump’s comments during the first presidential debate that a far-right group should “stand back and stand by.”
“This is serious stuff. We can’t just win by a vote. We have got to all turn out,” he said.
Arizona Republic: Biden meets with Arizona tribal leaders to discuss his proposed Native policy proposals
The 15-page plan lays out how a Biden administration would work with tribal governments and set itself apart from President Donald Trump’s record.
Biden and Harris paid respects to Native American veterans at a memorial outside the museum, standing silently with Cindy McCain, who endorsed the Democratic ticket this year. Her late husband, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, ran for president in 2008, losing eventually to President Barack Obama.
Afterward, Biden and Harris spoke with Native veterans and tribal leaders. At one point, Biden said, “We owe you so much.”
Indianz.com: ‘We need a uniter’: Tribal leaders endorse Democrat Joe Biden for president
[Acee Agoyo, 10/8/20]
With the election less than a month away, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continues to push for Indian Country’s vote, vowing to reverse years of setbacks tribes have suffered at the hands of Republican Donald Trump.
[…]
With the very future of Indian Country at stake, tribal leaders who met with Biden and Harris at the Heard Museum in Phoenix on Thursday lent their strong support to the Democratic ticket.
Univision: Biden se compromete en Arizona a restaurar el respeto por la comunidad hispana y legalizar a 11 millones de indocumentados
[Heidi Renpenning, 10/8/20]
Biden y Harris estuvieron en la sede del sindicato de carpinteros en Maryvale, un área con mayoría de población latina en el área metropolitana de Phoenix y luego visitaron varios negocios en lo que marcó el inicio del recorrido del autobús “Soul for the Nation”.
