Harris sparks excitement in N.H.
Voters bring priorities to town hall, house party
SOMERSWORTH, N.H. — Hundreds of people wrapped around Somersworth High School Sunday afternoon, waiting to hear presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris make her first Granite State town hall appearance since the Democratic debates.
“She’s doing great, we need a strong person and it would be great to have a woman in office before I croak,” said Nancy Kelley of Boston. “She is intelligent, honest, has integrity and would absolutely beat Trump because she cares about all people.”
The town hall followed an appearance earlier in the day at a house party in Gilford.
“(President Trump) has alienated women and people of color so much in the last two years,” said Patricia Fairhurst, of Dover, N.H. “We need someone who comes off strong because our country is in a situation that is pathetic.”
Excitement buzzed in the air as supporters stood in the heat for a chance to hear the former prosecutor from California speak. Once inside, people filled both the school cafeteria and an overflow room next door. Many said they couldn’t wait to see the “strong, moral and intelligent” woman speak in person.
“She is so poised, yet she demands attention,” said Haley Finn, from Massachusetts, who said she was likely going to vote for Harris after the debates and Sunday’s event. “I’m confident she knows what she’s talking about and she wouldn’t speak on something she doesn’t have knowledge about.”
Supporters said they wanted to hear about issues including teacher salaries, immigration and climate change. During questions, voters also asked her to talk about health care, veteran homelessness and mental health resources.
“The priorities I have are the priorities that I believe are the issues that wake most people up at night, regardless of how they are registered to vote,” Harris told voters. “I think that is going to be critically important because I think people are tired of the current occupant of the White House and I argue he is making us weaker as a country.”
Not all who attended the rally were solidly for Harris. Carolina Matas, of Washington D.C., said she believed Harris was “flippy floppy” and was looking for a firmer stance on issues.
“But, she did great at the Democratic debate, it was nice to see her go head-tohead with Biden,” said Matas.
Harris said, if elected, she would focus on universal background checks for gun owners, a middle class tax cut, providing resources for veterans and investing in teacher salaries.
She also talked about President Trump, likening the election to a court case and telling voters she is going to “prosecute the case against four more years of Donald Trump.”
“We are going to fight for the soul of our country and this fight is born out of love for this country,” Harris said. “And this is a fight we will win.”