( NewsNation ) — People waited in the heat Tuesday to see Ohio Sen. JD Vance speak at a Nevada rally — his first public appearance in the battleground state since becoming former President Donald Trump ’s 2024 running mate .
Vance spoke at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada. Nevada is often considered a purple state, where Democratic and Republican candidates for federal office receive similar amounts of support.
Attendees at Tuesday’s rally said they were excited about Vance as Trump’s vice presidential pick , and hopeful to turn the state “from purple to red.”
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“He definitely adds value because I feel like he’s going to speak for us and for me, who’s an immigrant,” one woman told NewsNation. “I think he’s representative of the younger generation coming up as future politicians. He seems like a man of integrity. I loved his wife as well.”
Trump has seen success appealing to Nevada’s hospitality workers, who represent about one-fourth of the state’s taxpayers. The former president drew praise for floating the idea of not taxing tips.