PHILADELPHIA — During the concluding rally of her intense presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris urged Americans to embrace their patriotism and advocate for their ideals. This final event, styled as a concert, took place in Philadelphia, the historic heart of U.S. democracy.

After a busy day appealing to voters throughout Pennsylvania, Harris capped her campaign with an election-eve rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which was filled with references highlighting her battle against Republican candidate Donald Trump.

The museum, famously known for the boxing film “Rocky,” is located on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, symbolizing Harris’s ongoing argument about the precariousness of American democracy.

“We love our country. And when you love something, you fight for it,” Harris expressed to her audience shortly before midnight. “I truly believe that one of the highest forms of patriotism, an expression of our love for this country, is to advocate for its principles and strive to fulfill the promise of America.”

As the election drew near, polls showed the candidates in a tight competition, with over 80 million votes already cast.

Previously, Harris spoke from the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., the same location where then-President Trump rallied his supporters on January 6, 2021, before they stormed the Capitol. Harris has criticized Trump, who never accepted his loss to President Joe Biden in 2020, for allegedly fixating on past grievances ahead of the election.

At her Philadelphia gathering, reportedly attended by 30,000, Harris stated: “America is ready for a fresh start, to move forward in a way that sees our fellow Americans not as adversaries, but as neighbors.”

“My entire career has been focused on one purpose: fighting for the people,” she asserted. “If you allow me the opportunity to fight for you as president, nothing will stand in my way.”

Kicking off her last campaign day in Detroit, Harris made several stops across Pennsylvania leading up to the concert rally in Philadelphia, which featured performances by Ricky Martin, Fat Joe, Oprah Winfrey, and Lady Gaga.

“We can’t sit this one out,” Winfrey urged the crowd before introducing Harris. “If we don’t participate tomorrow, we might never have the chance to vote again.”

Seeking 270 Electoral Votes

Nervousness was palpable in both presidential camps as the election approached.

“You will turn out tomorrow, and we’re going to make a strong showing,” Trump told supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shortly after Harris’ event. “We’re ahead by hundreds of thousands of votes, but let’s act like it’s close or we’re trailing slightly. We want to showcase a display of unity tomorrow.”

On a call with reporters, Harris’ campaign expressed confidence in having various avenues to secure the 270 Electoral College votes required for victory, highlighting her recent activities in key battlegrounds.

“We are dedicating resources, building our organization, maximizing our advertising, and traveling through every battleground state, both in the blue wall and the Sun Belt, because we view every option as a potential win,” noted Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.

Ending her rapid presidential campaign in Pennsylvania underscores its critical role in securing Democratic support, often viewed as a pillar of that party’s electoral strategy.

“This reaffirms what many already understood: that Pennsylvania is essential for electoral success on Tuesday,” remarked Charlie Gerow, a Republican strategist supportive of Trump. “Many believe correctly that Pennsylvania’s outcome will mirror the national result.”

Both campaigns have acknowledged Pennsylvania’s significance. Trump recently told his audience at a rally in Allentown that he sees the state’s 19 electoral votes as decisive for the election’s outcome.

“If we secure Pennsylvania, we will clinch the entire election,” stated the Republican presidential candidate.

In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by about 44,000 votes on his way to the presidency, while Biden took the state in 2020 with a margin of over 80,000 votes, winning the White House again.

“Your votes will determine the result of this election, Pennsylvania,” Harris declared to her supporters in Philadelphia on Monday night.

Four years ago, Biden concluded his campaign in Pittsburgh while Harris held a simultaneous drive-in gathering in Philadelphia, a location with a large Black voter population. During the 2020 election, they won both cities, along with Erie in the northwest, Harrisburg in the center, and the Lehigh Valley in the northeast of the state.

Harris emphasized Pennsylvania’s essential role during her trip to Philadelphia at the end of October, stating, “Pennsylvania is definitely a key state for us.”

On Monday afternoon, Harris visited a canvassing event in Scranton and then made her inaugural appearance in Allentown, a predominantly Hispanic city. She also stopped by a Puerto Rican restaurant in Reading alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

On the campaign’s last day, Harris addressed her followers at a rally and concert in Pittsburgh featuring Katy Perry and Andra Day before her late-night appearance in Philadelphia.

Supporters of Harris began gathering for the outdoor rally in the afternoon. Erica Moore, a 38-year-old from Hilltown, brought her daughter Janae, aged 8, to meet the vice president. After Harris won the election four years ago, Janae expressed her desire to become vice president one day.

Moore told her daughter, “By the time you’re old enough to run for office, you may even have the chance to be president.” She emphasized the importance of showing her daughter the fruits of Vice President Harris’s dedication over the past four years, illustrating that with hard work and determination, anything is possible.

Jasmine Amaya, 37, traveled from Los Angeles via Harrisburg, where Harris rallied supporters last week. She made the trip to Pennsylvania to canvass for Harris and attended the Philadelphia rally with her dog, Fezco.

Amaya shared that she had not previously voted for Harris in her earlier political roles but is now fully supportive, saying, “There couldn’t be a more prepared individual to lead our country right now.”

Harris Implements 2022 Election Strategy

The vice president is utilizing a strategy devised by Democrats who’ve achieved victories in Pennsylvania over the last four years, including U.S. Senator John Fetterman, who has been campaigning in rural areas for Harris.

Despite Trump’s significant wins in several of those counties during the last presidential election, Democrats running statewide have managed to reduce the vote totals for their Republican challengers.

Recently, Fetterman campaigned with former President Bill Clinton in Butler County, near Pittsburgh, and Erie County, which he refers to as the “ultimate bellwether” for the state, if not the whole country. He also spent time campaigning in Beaver County, a Trump-won area south of Pittsburgh that Harris visited earlier in her campaign.

In a recent phone interview, Fetterman underscored the importance of reaching out beyond Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s urban center, emphasizing that the more rural regions also matter significantly.

“Those voters can narrow the margins,” Fetterman noted. “It’s not always about flipping a county to our color on the map.”

Initially, Harris concentrated her campaign efforts in Pittsburgh and nearby regions but later directed her attention toward Philadelphia and its suburbs in the campaign’s closing weeks.

Recently, her campaign has emphasized areas expected to engage suburban women and anti-Trump Republican voters. This includes visits to Philadelphia’s neighboring counties and cities like Harrisburg, known for traditionally supporting Democrats.

Nikki Haley, a former contender in the Trump 2024 primary, secured about 20% of GOP voters in these areas even after suspending her presidential campaign when Pennsylvania’s Republicans cast their votes.

Gerow, a resident of the Democrat-leaning Harrisburg, criticized this approach.

“Nikki Haley has been very clear that she fully supports Donald Trump, and her followers aren’t likely to switch to supporting Harris just because they don’t like Trump,” he remarked. “It’s just not going to happen. Kamala Harris is the most left-leaning candidate ever on a major party ticket.”

Harris’ campaign insists its strategy involves reaching out to voters in the state’s more conservative regions.

“It’s crucial for our campaign to engage with everyone in every area and foster genuine conversations,” stated Brendan McPhillips, Harris’s senior adviser in Pennsylvania, in an interview. McPhillips previously served as Fetterman’s campaign manager.

Campaigning in Allentown

Harris’s quick visit to Allentown on Monday illustrated the challenges of a condensed campaign schedule, as she couldn’t be everywhere herself. Her appearance in a city where she and Biden had previously achieved victory took place after Trump’s visit and remarks from a comedian at a Republican rally that offended Puerto Ricans. Allentown has a significant Puerto Rican community.

“Her presence is notable and shows her dedication to earn every single vote,” Fetterman commented about Harris’s efforts across the state on the eve of the election.

On Saturday, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff campaigned in Lancaster and Altoona while his wife was active in other key states.

President Biden also campaigned in Pennsylvania on Saturday, visiting his hometown of Scranton, while former First Lady Michelle Obama held a rally in Philadelphia. First Lady Jill Biden campaigned in the suburbs of Philadelphia and Harrisburg on Sunday.

In the days leading up to her Pennsylvania visit, Harris toured Arizona and Nevada, spent Friday in Wisconsin, and campaigned in Georgia and North Carolina before heading to Michigan on Sunday. Similarly, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, was busy in Wisconsin and planned to finish his day in Detroit.

“At the National Mall, you could hear what a president should sound like,” Walz remarked at a rally in Milwaukee. “When Kamala and I talk about freedom, we mean people should have the right to make their own choices, not politicians.”

Earlier in the day, Trump spoke in Reading and concluded his campaign with events in Pittsburgh and Grand Rapids, Michigan. His running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, is wrapping up his 2024 campaign with stops in four key swing states: Newtown, PA; Flint, MI; La Crosse, WI; and Atlanta.

Additionally, the Republican campaign had various surrogates visiting Pennsylvania on Monday, including Republican Representative Byron Donalds from Florida and former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker.

(This story was updated with new information.)