With a consequential election now less than 30 days away, both the Republican and Democratic parties are intensely focused on projecting their respective messages throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Former President Donald Trump attracted thousands to the Butler Farm Show grounds on Saturday, Oct. 5, nearly three months after an attempt on his life at the same location shined the spotlight on Butler County.

According to county Commissioner Kevin Boozel, at least three Democratic canvassing groups were deployed during the rally to knock on doors and speak with prospective voters.

“For the most part, I understand, it went very well,” he said. “The canvassing groups went out, and they knocked on a lot of doors. It is about the grassroots. I love an event as much as anybody, but honestly, people want to know that you are there for them, not just for an event, but for every day.”

Democratic Party representatives have gone on the attack as of late, especially in rural areas.

“They are changing numbers that matter,” said Boozel. “Just moving the needle 10 points in a rural area is a lot of votes that could be added into the more densely populated Democratic-controlled areas. I think that’s the right way to look at this is every vote does matter.”

Over the weekend, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took the opportunity to speak with a few hundred voters in Aliquippa in an attempt to swing voters in deep red Beaver County.

“Pennsylvania picks the president, and that's why we are counting on counties just like Beaver to jam it up and deliver Harris-Walz in 2024,” he said in an Oct. 5 news release. “This is not about the color on the map, it’s about the margins in counties all across Pennsylvania. Right now, Harris and Walz can be the next four years. That’s why I salute all you in rooms just like (this one) across Pennsylvania. You are the ones that are going to deliver a victory for Harris-Walz.”

Trump opened one of his most anticipated rallies in this election cycle with a tribute to Buffalo Township firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks at the July 13 rally in Connoquenessing Township. Trump eventually turned his attention back toward Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign.

Local and state Democratic leaders alike have been promoting Harris’ New Way Forward agenda, which they say includes lowering costs for families, cutting taxes for middle-class families, protecting Americans’ freedoms and creating opportunity so that every American can get ahead.

Their approach has largely been centered around drawing a stark contrast between Trump and Harris, most notably insisting that the former president is not the right candidate for the state.

“Donald Trump just spent two hours spreading misinformation because he’s got nothing to offer Pennsylvania,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis in an Oct. 5 news release responding to Trump’s rally message. “His Project 2025 would rip away our freedoms and jack up costs with a national sales tax. Trump never cared about solutions — only himself.”