SAVANNAH, Ga. — Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage Thursday evening during a rally in Savannah, concluding her two-day bus tour through southern and coastal Georgia.
Hundreds of people stood in line as they waited for the doors of Enmarket Arena to open. They faced sweltering temperatures and a rain shower, as the line slowly snaked through the security checkpoint.
The weather did not dampen spirits, though. Laura Giovanetti and Michelle Mitchell are from South Carolina but said they could not miss an opportunity to hear the vice president speak.
“We wanted to be part of the change, and we wanted to be part of something bigger than ourselves," Mitchell told First Coast News.
Chuck Terry and Beryl Dixon also traveled from outside the city to see the vice president. This will be the second time they have attended a Harris rally.
"Just being in the energy and experiencing the joy is enough for me," Dixon said.
Harris considers Georgia to be a battleground state. Her goal for this trip was to get to know voters face-to-face in hopes of gaining more support in a predominantly Republican region.
Tonia Howard-Hall lives in Savannah and appreciates the vice president visiting the region again.
"Many times candidates will go to Atlanta, Georgia, and not many times they come here to Savannah,” Howard-Hall said.
Howard-Hall wants Harris to touch on some of the more pressing issues in the region.
"I’m hoping to hear more about education as far as early childhood education, as well as affordable housing," Howard-Hall said. "Affordable housing is really needed in this county, in this city."
The Trump campaign released a statement ahead of the rally. A spokesperson said: "Democrats in Georgia are finally learning an important lesson … there is more to Georgia than just Atlanta."
Watch Harris' entire speech in the video player above.