MCKEES ROCKS, Pennsylvania—At the freshly renovated Roxian Theatre along Chartiers Avenue in a struggling river town, Loren Stephenson said she and her fiance, Alex Ames, had been standing at the front of the line since 8 a.m. to hear billionaire Elon Musk speak at 2 p.m.
Stephenson, a Duquesne University professor, said she came to see Musk speak because she respects his brilliance as an entrepreneur and innovator.
“I love his ideas about our safety, less government spending, talking about purpose, and getting the country back on track,” she said.
The Pittsburgh native held a homemade sign declaring that she was an independent voter.
“I have been for over 20 years,” Stephenson said of her voting record and affiliation.
“I don’t go one way or the other. I take things issue by issue,” she said, something that initially led her to vote for former…
