Supporters of Shamaine Daniels left Saturday’s campaign kick-off with lawn signs.
An overflow crowd of supporters spilled out of a Midtown Harrisburg building and onto the sidewalk on Saturday, as Shamaine Daniels launched her general election campaign for Congress.
More than 100 people took time from their weekend to help inaugurate the campaign office at Verbeke and Penn streets, many leaving the building with campaign signs for their lawns and windows.
“I am here to meet Shamaine and to get the best candidate in Congress that we can possibly get,” said Sarah Pearce of Susquehanna Township.
In remarks to attendees, Daniels, the Democratic nominee, said that she’d work hard to represent the people of the 10th congressional district, a seat now held by Republican incumbent Scott Perry.
Afterwards, Daniels, an attorney and three-term Harrisburg council member, said that she wasn’t surprised by the large turnout of supporters.
“I kind of expected it, because people are really excited about this campaign,” she said.
Shamaine Daniels, far left, speaks with a supporter, as people stand in line (right) to sign up to help with the campaign.
The district, which includes all of Dauphin and parts of Cumberland and York counties, leans Republican in voter registration. Still, Daniels said that she believes that her stances on issues resonate well with the majority of voters, whether they’re urban, suburban or rural.
These positions, she said, include better roads, agricultural workforce stability and women’s health, especially in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent overturn of Roe vs. Wade, which removed a national right to abortion.
“The three things we’re focusing on are infrastructure, families and children and a broken immigration system,” Daniels said. “All of those affect large swaths of the district.”
Many attendees seemed to be equally focused on ousting Perry from office.
“I think Shamaine’s a great person,” said Susan of Harrisburg, who declined to provide her last name. “I think she has a lot of great ideas, and we need to get Scott Perry out of there.”
A bicyclist leaves the event with lawn signs.
Ellen Barry of Susquehanna Township said that she “was mortified” when the township became part of the 10th district following redistricting, which meant that Perry became her congressman.
“I don’t know Shamaine Daniels, but she seems qualified to beat him,” said Barry.
Pearce described Perry as “an embarrassment.”
“He is done, as far as I’m concerned, and [Daniels] has the best ideas,” Pearce said. “I want her to win.”
Daniels said that she hopes to win the Nov. 8 general election by boosting turnout of both voters who support her stances and who object to Perry’s conservative positions and his strong support for former President Donald Trump.
“We need to concentrate on voter turnout,” Daniels said. “If we get out the Democrats and independents and the Republicans who believe in our democracy, we’ll be in good shape. I think we’ll be able to win.”
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