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    What did the VP say when the campaign stopped

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    More: Kamala Harris closes Reno rally by urging supporters to rebuild community ties

    Thousands packed the downtown Reno event center Thursday to hear Vice President Kamala Harris speak at her first rally in northern Nevada since leading the Democratic ticket.

    Harris took the stage at 5:30 p.m

    Nevada is considered a swing state, and the race with former President Donald Trump is extremely close. The New York Times polling average just put Trump slightly ahead of Harris for the first time in Nevada since August.

    Here is a recap of the rally.

    Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for about 20 minutes to a crowd of about 6,000 supporters Thursday night at the Reno Events Center.

    “We have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to make us afraid of each other, but we’re done with that,” she said.

    “It’s time for a new generation of leaders in America.”

    Despite being interrupted by a few hecklers mid-speech, Harris maintained an upbeat vibe, delivering lines that would generate cheers to drown him out.

    It was not clear what they were shouting. In response to the naysayers, sections of the crowd chanted: “We love you Kamala!”

    Harris wove several policy proposals into her remarks.

    “If you’re caring for an elderly parent, my plan will cover the cost of home health care for seniors with Medicaid,” she said in one example.

    The crowd would often tap their feet, creating a booming rhythm throughout the arena.

    Harris said former President Trump created a list of enemies to take revenge on for his first day in office.

    “I have a to-do list,” she said.

    “I will always put country before party. That’s what leaders do.”

    Check back on RGJ.com for more on Kamala Harris’ rally in Reno.

    After Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto gave brief remarks to the crowd at the Kamala Harris rally, which had grown to about 6,000 inside the Reno Event Center.

    The capacity of the venue is 7,000. Areas are blocked off for media and security, but the place feels full, especially on the floor around the stage.

    This election “is about the future where every Nevadan has the opportunity to succeed,” Cortez Masto said. “It’s about the future where women are in control of their bodies again.”

    The senator urged everyone to get out and vote.

    “We’re in this final period,” she said. “Are we going to knock on those doors? Are we going to drive the people around us crazy until they go out to vote?”

    Yes, the crowd said, waving signs before chanting, “We’re not going back!”

    Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, who is a registered nonpartisan, warmed up the crowd Thursday at the Kamala Harris rally, causing both sides of the arena to try to cheer each other on.

    She has served as mayor for the past 12 years through three presidential administrations.

    With “the Trump administration, we haven’t even been invited to the White House,” she said. “How can you work with someone if you’re not even invited to the table? What does that tell you?

    “Let me tell you about Biden-Harris. I have a hotline — a hotline because they care about Reno, because they care about the Washoe families.”

    Schieve said he met Harris several times.

    “We had in-depth conversations about mental health, reproductive rights, small business,” the mayor said. “She understands.”

    David Dawson made a last-minute decision last night to travel with his wife and two children from their home in Sacramento at 8 a.m. to attend the rally in Reno. They stood in line for about an hour before he headed to security.

    “My kids, ages 8 and 11, had to cancel their Halloween plans,” Dawson said. “Which I think is a very big and mature thing to do. I had to tell them what they witnessed.”

    Dawson is a lifelong California Democrat who said he felt it was important for his children to see the event.

    “This is our last chance to see Kamala Harris before she’s elected…bring our daughter to see our son too, but especially our daughter. Because she’s older and she understands better, and also because it’s so important to her to see the first woman president,” Dawson said.

    Also waiting in line was Sya Smith, originally from Four Corners, New Mexico, but now living in Fallon. She said Harris won her support because of her positions on indigenous sovereignty and reproductive rights.

    “I think (the campaign) is going well,” Smith said. “I noticed it’s very close.”

    That sentiment was echoed by Rod and Heidi Tayler, who traveled an hour from California to be at the rally.

    “Hopefully we’ll be smiling in a week,” Rod Tayler said.

    Although Tayler said he felt bad for Joe Biden when the president dropped out of the race, they were excited about the energy Harris brought to the closest presidential race in 60 years.

    “Now, it’s not two old men going up against each other, but a really vibrant old man and young woman,” he said.

    Raul Robinson, a UNR student studying communication, said he didn’t plan to vote when Biden ran for president, but he already voted for Harris.

    “I was excited and felt the need to vote,” Robinson said.

    Colby Thomas, who is part of Generation Z, also said he was excited to have a younger Democratic candidate.

    “I think she represents a new generation,” Thomas said. “I think he understands us on a much better level. She is not at the oldest end. I think it has been good for our economy. She is for reproductive rights.”

    American candidate Kidd appears at all rallies, regardless of party

    Greg Kidd, the partisan running against Republican incumbent Mark Amodei for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, was shaking hands with campaign workers outside the venue before entering. He said he has attended every political rally in Northern Nevada this election season. That includes JD Vance’s visit to Reno last week and separate visits by Tim Walz and Donald Trump earlier this month.

    When asked what the naysayers want from politicians this election based on his experience at these rallies, Kidd said, “Most people just want to make sure the gridlock doesn’t stop good things for Nevada. So good for Nevada. They want it to happen.”

    The two leading presidential candidates are hitting the swing state of Nevada hard in the run-up to Election Day.

    Kamala Harris is holding two rallies today in Nevada, one in Reno, before heading to Las Vegas for what is being billed as a rally concert with Jennifer Lopez.

    Meanwhile, Donald Trump is speaking in Henderson this afternoon, and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will be in Las Vegas on Saturday.

    The candidates are also making stops in Arizona, another swing state, during their visits to the West.

    Wearing a shirt with “Love” in big letters, Judy Woodworth sat down for a quick face painting with blue, white and silver glitter at Kamala Harris’ rally in Reno on Thursday.

    “I support everything she stands for — women’s rights are very important to me,” Woodworth said, explaining why she drove three hours to see the vice president.

    Asked what she thought Harris’ chances were of winning the tight race for president, “absolutely 100 percent,” she said, breaking into a smile.

    Clinton Holeman wore a “Veterans for Harris” T-shirt to see the vice president’s Halloween rally.

    “She’s not a traitor, she’s not a seditionist,” he said, saying he sees Kamala Harris as far better in the US military and defense than Donald Trump.

    “She believes in our Constitution, which I’m sworn to defend, and she spent two tours in Vietnam doing it.”

    Holeman lives in Douglas County, where he said Republicans outnumber Democrats 3 or 4 to 1, so he felt it was important to show his support for Harris.

    “Besides, it’s my birthday,” he said. “We’re excited to be here.”

    He added that Trump is even older than he is and believes the former president is clearly showing signs of mental decline.

    “He’s demented,” Holeman said, “maybe not fully, but he’s getting there.”

    Nedra Benites drove from Truckee on Thursday to see Vice President Kamala Harris for the first time.

    “I’m here to support our next president,” she said.

    She wants to keep former President Donald Trump out of office, but she also attended because she likes Harris’ police.

    “I believe in protecting the climate, in protecting human rights and women’s rights, especially at this time,” Benites said. “All her policies are way better than the other guy’s. And I just think she cares and she’s compassionate and she’s extremely intelligent and extremely energetic and she works very hard for the American people.”

    She felt a lot of anxiety about how close the race seems, especially in Nevada.

    “What the world could look like with another Trump presidency, to me, is terrifying,” Benites said. “He’s a murderer in so many ways and I can’t believe that anyone could stand up for someone like that, much less want to be their leader and the leader of the free world.”

    Read more: Roads around the Reno Event Center were closed for the Kamala Harris rally

    What you can’t bring to the Kamala Harris rally

    All guests will go through airport-like screenings operated by the Secret Service. These things are prohibited:

    • No bags are allowed. Diaper bags and medical bags are allowed.
    • No liquids, including empty or full water bottles.
    • No outside posters.
    • No shadows
    • No pens or lighters.
    • No weapons.
    • No costumed masks or weapons.

    Where to park for the Kamala Harris Reno rally

    • If you ride share, direct drivers to 500 N. Sierra St.
    • Limited parking is available for a fee at the National Bowling Stadium.
    • Free parking is available at 500 N. Sierra St. and 345 N. Virginia St.

    Carly Sauvageau and Siobhan McAndrew contributed to this report.

    Mark Robison is a state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to [email protected] or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.

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