Philadelphia area voters said Harris had a good debate, but that they didn’t make up their mind.
Voters in Pennsylvania are taking stock of what both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris said during a contentious debate in Philadelphia earlier this week. While Andrew Wallace, a registered Democrat who had previously supported Trump, said he is leaning toward Trump after watching the debate, one undecided voter in Pennsylvania told NBC News that they are unsatisfied with both candidates. Lynne Kelleher said she was turned off by Trump talking “in such extremes” while Harris spoke with “great taglines” but little detail.
Before the debate, several undecided voters in the Keystone State said they wanted to hear “concrete policies” from Harris and how she will be different than President Biden. Majesty Moreland, a black undecided voter, criticized Harris’ comments about helping the middle class, saying “that don’t make me feel good because…the Black community, a lot of us are poor” and that she tunes out when that is said.
Mary Nolan of Bensalem, a registered Republican who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 before voting for Trump in 2020, told the Associated Press that despite Harris having “had a good debate”, she did not like Harris avoiding questions, particularly on abortion and immigration. Former Democrat Ron Soto of Levittown said Harris’ answers on illegal immigration turned him off, saying “The Democrats can open the floodgates and tell the whole world…Come on in.”
Hannah Reed, a Bucks County independent voter who supported Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, told NBC News that she “wants to like Harris”, however believes her policies won’t be effective.
In other parts of the country, undecided voters weren’t convinced by Harris during the debate. Florida entrepreneur Mark Kadish said Harris didn’t elaborate enough details during the debate, telling Reuters “I still don’t know what she is for.” Others told The New York Times that Harris didn’t do enough to distinguish herself from the unpopular incumbent President Joe Biden. Pennsylvania’s undecided voters were keenly interested in the debate. According to Neilson ratings, the Pittsburgh area had the highest ratings among metropolitan areas in the country for viewership, with Philadelphia following closely behind the Steel City.
