From Staff Reports 

Less than a week before the Nov. 5 general election and in his second visit to Asheville in a month, Gov. Tim Walz, who is the Democrtic nominee for vice president, addressed capacity crowd at the The Orange Peel. which was billed as an “iconic” Asheville music venue — on Oct. 30.

Asheville has changed tremendously since Sept. 17, when Walz held a rally at another city entertainment venue, Salvage Station. Just 10 days later, the Salvage Station was virtually washed away by Tropical Storm Helene — and Asheville and surrounding Western North Carolina were severely ravaged by the storm’s rain and wind.

Before campaigning in Asheville, Walz also participated in political events in Charlotte on Oct. 29 and Greensboro on Oct. 30. The series of events were meant to “encourage North Carolinians to vote early for Vice President Harris and Democrats up and down the ballot,” his campaign said.

Walz’s visit followed trips from high-profile former and current public officials, including former President Donald Trump, who is the GOP nominee for U.S. president.