Actress Christine Baranski joined Polish American activists on Wednesday on a tour across the state to persuade residents with Polish ancestry to support Kamala Harris.
Pennsylvania, home to approximately 700,000 people of Polish descent, represents around 5% of the state’s population.
Polish U.S. congressman Tom Malinowski also attended the event concentrated in Luzerne County, where over 20% of residents claim Polish ancestry, making it the largest ethnic group in the area.
The county, part of a historically industrial and mining region, has significant sway in state politics.
The current Democratic President, Joe Biden, was born in nearby Scranton, further underscoring the importance of the region.
Campaign organizer Łukasz Lipiński told the Polish Press Agency that the effort was a form of “microtargeting” never previously undertaken by either party concerning Polish American votes.
“A long time ago, Bill Clinton’s campaign manager said there was no point in reaching out to the Polish community because they voted for Democrats. That’s not true—Polish Americans almost always choose the candidate who eventually wins,” Lipiński said.
