Kamala Harris makes last-minute campaign stop in the Rio Grande Valley

Demonstrators show support and opposition to visit

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris makes a campaign stop on the Edinburg campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley four days before the presidential election. Hundreds of people turned out for the event on Friday.
**PAULINA LONGORIA/THE RIDER PHOTO**

“Biden Harris 2020! Woo!”

Political supporters of both sides of the spectrum converged on UTRGV’s Edinburg campus Friday afternoon in response to Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ visit to the Rio Grande Valley.

Flags, signs and chants were loud and clear as crowds of supporters for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump demonstrated less than 900 feet away from where Harris was set to speak.

The senator’s visit to the Rio Grande Valley was one of three last-minute campaign stops in Texas. Harris was also scheduled to appear in Fort Worth and Houston.

Palmhurst resident Mirta Rodriguez had been waiting in her car since noon as the first person in line for the drive-in rally for her chance to see Harris.

“We wanted to be close by to be able to see Kamala and see what she has to tell us,” Rodriguez said.

A small distance down was McAllen resident Rebecca San Miguel who responded to why she believes there has been an increase in early voter turnout

“I think people want change, to be very honest with you,” San Miguel said. “I think what we have right now as far as our administration up in the White House, I don’t want to talk anything bad or be that anti-person but I think people are really looking for change, you know, for the United States .”

Edinburg resident Daniel Treviño was parked with a Trump flag waving from the bed of his Dodge pickup at the event. He says people either love or hate the president which he says becomes an issue.

“This election, probably more than any other, it’s very divisive,” Treviño said. “I mean you either love Trump or you hate him. The problem comes into there’s not a lot of people love Biden, they just hate Trump… you know, the people that love Trump, especially down here in the [Rio Grande] Valley, the Latinos, the black people, all over the United States, they’re not afraid to admit that they’re changing sides.”

In a live video posted to Harris’ Twitter, the senator spoke to voters on issues she believes are at stake in the election. She closed the event by telling attendees they would be a part of history.