Harris and Trump’s paths to the White House cross in Pennsylvania, but it’s a must-win for the Democrats

It turns out that the route to the White House and the route Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are taking to the Democratic National Convention both run through this part of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Democrats’ nominees began their trip to Monday’s four-day conclave with a stop Sunday at Pittsburgh International Airport, where Ms. Harris and her running mate embarked on a bus tour through this region.

It was no surprise that the Democratic ticket began its journey to Chicago in Pennsylvania and that the Republican ticket also made appearances in the state.

“It’s the pathway to victory — the biggest prize of the states that are up for grabs and it is a most essential one for the Democrats,” Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., said in an interview. “The demographic makeup of the state — a range of urban, rural and suburban communities, age and educational diversity, and a fair share of moderate voters — makes it a natural battleground.”