YATESVILLE, Pa. -- A crowd of Democratic supporters roared with support as former Vice President Joe Biden took the stage inside Pittston Area Senior High School Sunday night.
Biden is a Scranton native and came to Luzerne County to support Democratic candidates Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Matt Cartwright as both run for reelection in a state that went Republican in the 2016 presidential election.
The lobby of the high school auditorium was packed with supporters for the Democratic candidates. They are hoping this campaign stop is what Luzerne County needs to keep Casey and Cartwright in office.
"We kind of fell down on the job a couple years ago, didn't we? But we're not going to do that this week, are we?" Cartwright said to the crowd, which shouted back no.
"Democrats choose hope over fear. Democrats choose unity over division, and mostly importantly, we choose truth over lies," Biden said.
Before Biden took the stage, each candidate spoke about issues that hit home for people in this crowd.
"I'm a retired union ironworker, and I believe that the Democrats support the union," said Joe Walsh of West Pittston.
"Civil rights, voting rights, Social Security and Medicare, and how we need to protect them now and protect the people that need our help," said Janet Shaw of Lake Winola.
Supporters hope former Biden's appearance will add excitement leading up to the hotly-contested midterm elections this week.
"He was wonderful and inspirational, and I just want to tell everyone to please go out and vote," Tish Last of Wilkes-Barre said.
"He's certainly a native son of northeastern Pennsylvania, but also someone who always spent his life fighting for the working family. I think he's the perfect person to get Democrats, Independents, and hopefully some Republicans fired up to vote on Tuesday," said CJ Kersey of Kingston.
People who came out say this rally has inspired them to call up their friends and family to get out and vote on Tuesday.