JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance promised residents here Saturday that he and former President Donald Trump would revitalize the manufacturing industry in the once-booming steel town if they win the election Nov. 5.
"We're committed to making things in the United States of America, and this town is going to thrive because of Donald Trump's policies," he told a crowd of about 300 inside a warehouse at JWF Industries, a metal-centric company that makes products for containment vehicles that transport water to treatment plants.
Mr. Vance tailored his remarks in an effort to appeal to residents of an area once driven by steel mills and related industry. Johnstown is Cambria County's largest city, and it was crippled when Bethlehem Steel closed a plant here in 1992.
Once boasting a population of more than 67,000, the city now counts 18,411 residents, according to census data.
Drawing upon his upbringing in southwestern Ohio, Mr. Vance said he can relate to Johnstown’s struggles.
"I know that Bethlehem Steel, a great American steel manufacturer, really built this town in a lot of ways," he said. "And, like my hometown, [Johnstown] lost a lot of jobs over the last three years, thanks to bad leadership."
If elected, Mr. Vance vowed to prioritize several other key issues important to Pennsylvanians, including inflation, the economy in general, and housing prices.
He told the Post-Gazette that, if elected, he would support federal initiatives that aim to reduce veteran homelessness — a significant issue in the Keystone State, which has the fourth-largest veteran population nationwide.
In August, the administration of President Joe Biden awarded more than $17 million in grants for housing and other services for Pennsylvania veterans. Mr. Vance did not provide details on the initiatives he supports.
He also cited the previous opposition to fracking by his Democratic opponent in November, Vice President Kamala Harris, an issue that has dogged her campaign in must-win Pennsylvania.
"Nobody wants to vote for banning fracking, especially those in Western Pennsylvania," he said.
Ms. Harris has repeatedly said she no longer favors a fracking ban.
Johnstown and Cambria County have been a hotbed for political candidates in the lead-up to November. Both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have spent time here in recent weeks.
Trump carried Cambria County by about 37 percentage points over Mr. Biden in 2020, and by 37.1 points over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Mitt Romney, a Republican who has been critical of the former president, beat former President Barack Obama by 18 points in Cambria in 2012.
Before Mr. Vance took the stage, several state politicians delivered remarks and vowed to turn Pennsylvania back to red in November.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, said farming and agriculture in the Pennsylvania were "in crisis." Agriculture is responsible for about $83.8 billion in direct economic output, 280,500 jobs and $10.9 billion in earnings in the Keystone State, according to the Nature Conservancy.
"Pennsylvania farm families provide us with food for fiber and fuel. ... Our farmers under Harris are struggling with a farm crisis that will lead to food insecurity for you and to national insecurity for our nation," he said.
Amid cheers, he fished a mail-in ballot out of his pocket and filled it out, declaring he had just cast his vote for Trump and Mr. Vance.
After the rally, Mr. Vance made a stop at the Corner Coffee Shop in Johnstown, where customers cheered as he entered.
"You're always welcome here," one woman shouted, referring to video clips showing Mr. Vance appearing to be turned away from a Primanti Bros. restaurant in North Versailles last month.
First Published: October 12, 2024, 10:43 p.m.
Updated: October 13, 2024, 2:33 a.m.
