ATLANTA/PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Democrat Kamala Harris kicked off her 60th birthday on Sunday with a church visit in Georgia as part of an effort to court early voters, while her Republican rival, Donald Trump, is set to hold an event in battleground Pennsylvania and visit a local McDonald’s.
Harris and Trump, who are essentially tied in the race for president in the most competitive states, have sharpened their attacks in recent days, while drumming up support for early votes by mail or in person with just 16 days left until the Nov. 5 election.
Vice President Harris and former President Trump, 78, are focusing on Georgia, Pennsylvania and a handful of other states likely to decide the election, where both parties have strong support and electoral results have been close in past cycles.
Harris, who was raised in the teachings of the Black church and sang in a church choir, attended a service and spoke at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, about 30 miles (50 km) east of Atlanta.
Invoking her childhood experiences in a Black church, Harris drew a sharp contrast to the harsh and divisive rhetoric of the current political climate, although she did not mention Trump by name.
“At this point across our nation, what we do see are some trying to deepen division among us, spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos,” she said. “At this moment, our country is at a crossroads and where we go is up to us.”
She will also speak at Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro, just south of Atlanta, where she plans to encourage worshippers to exercise their voting rights. Music icon Stevie Wonder will attend and is slated to perform.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, on Sunday were promoting a “Souls to the Polls” initiative aimed at using gospel performances, national and state faith leaders, elected officials and others to mobilize voters.
After her events, Harris will record an interview with civil rights leader Al Sharpton that will air Sunday night on MSNBC.
Walz attended a service in Saginaw, Michigan, while his wife, Gwen Walz, planned to visit a church in Las Vegas.
Harris will need strong results in the majority non-white cities of Detroit and Atlanta and their surrounding suburbs to repeat President Joe Biden’s 2020 wins in Michigan and Georgia.
Trump, after escalating personal attacks on Harris on Saturday, told Breitbart News he would work at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania on Sunday “just for fun” to mock Harris. Trump adviser Jason Miller said Trump would be working in the french fries area of the restaurant.
Harris says she worked at a McDonald’s when she was young but Trump says he does not believe her.
Trump then will hold a town hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The former president is seeking to take advantage of what he felt was an improved position for him in opinion polls that show a deadlocked race. Some voters already have sent mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, the biggest prize on Election Day among battleground states.
On Monday, Harris said she will campaign with Republican former Representative Liz Cheney in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who is supporting Harris, acknowledged on NBC’S “Meet the Press” that the race in his state is tight.
“We understand that this election likely will come down to tens of thousands of votes … you’ve got to compete for every vote,” Shapiro said.
(This story has been refiled to fix the formatting)
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by William Mallard)
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