By james art A steady line rose outside. At the front was a group of high school and college students who skipped class to see Harris. Mayrim Arteaga is a first-time voter and attends Reed High School. She said immigration is a major issue for her.
“I’m a first-generation kid, so anything related to immigration is a really big thing for me, maybe it’s not that hard to get documents,” Arteaga said. “It’s a really big thing for our families.”
Others on the line said Harris’ presidential campaign felt like a historic one. Alyssa Cowan, who grew up in Sparks but now lives in Sacramento, rented a car for the rally.
“It meant a lot to me when she became vice president because I’m half Asian, I’m half Filipino, but to see someone else on stage who’s half Asian, and a woman rising that high in office just gives me a lot of hope and happiness for the future,” Cowan said.
Like many others, Cowan said democracy, health care and economic policy are most important to her in this election.
In her nearly half-hour speech, Harris shared an optimistic message for the future, saying her opponent, former President Donald Trump, only wants to divide people.
It marked her first rally in Reno as a Democratic presidential candidate. The last time she was in Northern Nevada was in April 2023. At times, the cheers and chants of the audience drowned her out.
“So today, Nevada, then I ask you, are you ready to make your voices heard? Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in the possibilities? Do we believe in America’s promise and are we willing to fight for it? Harris asked the lively crowd.
She said she fights for women’s freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and encouraged the crowd to vote yes on ballot question 6 to constitutionally protect abortion. She promised to take on corporate landlords, hike prices at the grocery store, and no tax on tips, a message Trump also shared.
Several lawmakers also shared the stage with Harris, including U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, who asked the crowd to call a friend and tell them to vote with the hashtag #MayorMadeMeDoIt.
Harris’ visit to Nevada ended with a concert in Las Vegas in the evening, where Trump also gathered, in their likely final push for the swing state.