CARY, N.C. — The Harris-Walz presidential campaign opened a new field office in downtown Cary on Sunday, highlighting the state’s importance in the upcoming election.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland headlined the event, joined by local Democratic leaders and supporters. The gathering, held outdoors in rainy conditions, aimed to energize volunteers and emphasize the campaign’s ground game in the crucial swing state.

“This is what victory looks like,” Moore said. “This is what victory feels like. Because there’s one thing I know, is that there is nothing given. Everything is earned.”

Moore said North Carolina’s support is crucial in this election. 

“Not only are we going to win in November, it’s going to be because of North Carolina,” Moore said.

Congressman Wiley Nickel, representing North Carolina’s 13th district, said in a speech that the previous election proved Moore’s claim true. 

“The road to the White House runs through North Carolina,” Nickel said. “We are the state that Trump won by the smallest amount in the last election, and when North Carolina goes blue, there’s no path for Trump to get to the White House without our state.”

Several speakers addressed the contrast between the Harris-Walz ticket and their opponents. Nickel highlighted Vice President Harris’ economic plans, including efforts to make housing more affordable and support small businesses

“Vice President Harris is making the case directly to the American people about her plan to strengthen the middle class,” Nickel said. “It’s a clear contrast to Donald Trump’s Project 2025. … [Harris] has always embraced smart ideas and innovation throughout her career, from her time as attorney general to serving as vice president of the United States, she’s going to continue working with entrepreneurs and businesses to solve big problems while holding bad actors accountable.”

Moore said he praised Harris’ leadership, recounting her support after a ship crashed into the Baltimore bridge in May. 

“Kamala Harris is a person of her word,” Moore said. “She’s the leader that we need. If she said it, she meant it.”

The speakers took aim at Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is amid a scandal coming from comments CNN reported he made on a porn site in years past, resulting in resignations from his gubernatorial campaign.

Nickel tied former President Donald Trump’s campaign to Robinson, citing Trump’s previous endorsement of Robinson.

“From their numerous scandals, it’s clear they are two peas in a pod,” Nickel said. “Robinson is aligned with Trump’s extreme Project 2025 agenda which would strip away freedoms and impose bans that don’t represent the values of North Carolinians.” 

Moore, the country’s only sitting Black governor, said although Robinson is also Black, he doesn’t address the needs of the Black population.

“Not all skin folk are kinfolk,” Moore said.

Despite the fact that he opposes Trump and Robinson’s campaigns, Moore said that isn’t the reason he endorses Harris and Josh Stein, the Democratic candidate for governor of North Carolina.

“The reason that I’m so excited that North Carolina is going to do the right thing in November is not because I’m afraid of an alternative, the alternative of the ‘Black Nazi,’ Mark Robinson,” Moore said. “It’s because I’m hopeful for the future that Josh Stein is going to bring, and I take the exact same type of approach to the presidential race.” 

Aside from the presidential and gubernatorial elections, the event also emphasized down-ballot races. Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, highlighted state-level candidates and the importance of judicial elections. 

“We have the chance to elect some of the youngest people running statewide this year in North Carolina,” Clayton said.

Congresswoman Deborah Ross, representing North Carolina’s second district, addressed ongoing challenges facing North Carolina, including the impact of Hurricane Helene on the western part of the state. She tied these issues to the broader stakes of the election and said there is a need for leaders who believe in climate science and disaster preparedness.

“What’s going on with our brothers and sisters in the western part of the state and also in Rocky Mount is just devastating, and it’s going to take all of us to come together and support them and make sure that we have a president and a governor who care about their needs, who care about recovery, who believe that we should have a National Weather Service and who take care of our people,” Ross said. “And that is what is at stake in this election.”

The campaign’s focus on North Carolina underscores the state’s battleground status. In 2020, Trump won the state by a margin of about 1.3 percentage points.

Nickel said he stressed the importance of college student turnout. 

“College students especially should [vote] because their futures are at stake,” Nickel said. “We’re talking about the issues that matter — having a good economy to get a good job, the environment. The choice couldn’t be more clear on these issues.”

As the event concluded, Moore led the crowd in a chant of “When we fight, we win,” before supporters dispersed to begin canvassing efforts.

With a little more than a month until the election, the Harris-Walz campaign is intensifying its efforts in North Carolina, viewing the state as critical to their path to victory in November.