Andrea Campbell first met Kamala Harris when the then-California attorney general gave the UCLA Law School commencement address in 2009.
More than a decade later, Campbell watched as Vice President Harris rallied a gymnasium full of Democrats to support her bid to become Massachusetts’ first black female attorney general.
“If you’re going to succeed as a female candidate, especially women of color, you need guidance,” Campbell told CNN, adding that the vice president told her backstage, “Be yourself. Remind people why you do this job. Tell your story and remind people why government matters.”
That full-circle moment came as Harris makes her final round of stops on the final stretch of days before the final midterm election ballots are counted. Harris, who has been laser-focused on abortion and women’s rights during her tenure, is spending these final days trying to field nearly all female candidates in Democratic stronghold states, going into friendly territory to serve as closer to the expected horse racing.
Harris’ last-minute trip underscores the high political stakes for Democrats in a midterm election that has focused heavily on whether President Joe Biden’s party will be able to retain control of Congress — and if not, by how much. to minimize his losses. A source close to Harris says it also reflects a year-long strategy to put her in front of an audience where she could build important relationships for the future.
“Over the next four days, Vice President Harris will continue to do what she’s been doing, and that’s up and down candidates who are equally committed to protecting reproductive rights and committed to building on the progress the administration has made. restore the economy,” a White House official said.
The vice president is expected to spend Monday in California, appearing with the state’s Democratic Party for a reproductive rights rally, according to a White House official. According to a California official, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Karen Bass is also expected to attend. On Sunday, Harris will appear with Sen. Tammy Duckworth in Illinois for an Asian American and Pacific Islander Victory Fund event — in addition to a rally for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a day after Biden appeared in same state.
This comes after back-to-back trips to boost female candidates. Harris spent Thursday in New York trying to win over Gov. Kathy Hotchul, who is in a tighter-than-expected re-election race, and Attorney General Letitia James along with former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a rally high profile.
Gubernatorial candidates are breaking records in this year’s midterm elections, with 25 women receiving nominations from the two major parties, according to the Center on American Women and Politics. And a record number are also running for state legislatures.
Referring to this record, Harris told the audience in New York: “You’ve seen a lot of history on this stage. Many firsts”
“Yes, we may be the first, but we pledge not to be the last. And we’re going to count on you to help us get it done,” Harris added, using a line her mother often repeated to Harris throughout her career.
A day earlier, the vice president went to the Democratic stronghold of Massachusetts to support Campbell and Maura Healy, who is running for governor. The vice president has also campaigned for Sen. Patty Murray in Washington, Rep. Jahana Hayes in Connecticut and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan among other female candidates.
But the places Harris hasn’t been during this midterm cycle, and the Democratic front-runners locked in tight races in which she hasn’t faltered, are notable. He has not campaigned in person for Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, Arizona gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, North Carolina US Senate candidate Cheri Beasley , California US Congresswoman Katie Porter or Florida Congressman Val Demings, who is running for Senate against Senator Marco Rubio.
In many cases, campaigns must invite White House officials to appear at their events – and bringing the president or vice president can be expensive as the campaign foots the bill. Some campaign insiders told CNN that increased scrutiny from Republicans following the first black vice president has hampered their willingness to get her out.
But Harris’ absences, along with Biden’s relatively light campaign schedule that also hasn’t taken him to many hard-fought races across the country, illustrate a political reality: Some endangered Democrats have tried to distance themselves from the White House.
Many missed the opportunity to call on either Biden or Harris to make an appearance as they walk a tightrope on the economy and inflation. Biden and Harris’ frequent trips to easily won states in 2020 also show how defensive Democrats are in races that are traditionally deep blue.
Harris has indeed visited Nevada, Wisconsin and California for official events — roundtables on abortion rights — in the past three months, highlighting an issue that has become on the minds of some Democratic voters since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court this summer. And he’s done virtual events for North Carolina congressional candidates, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, Iowa gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeGer and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in Texas.
Harris has also headlined more than a dozen DNC fundraisers so far this year, raising millions, a DNC official told CNN. Her allies argue that the strategy of staying away from hard races and instead spending time in deep blue states shows the White House is taking nothing for granted.
“I think it’s a very smart strategy,” said A’shanti Gholar, president of the organization Emerge, which recruits and then trains Democratic women to run for office. The Emerge founder helped Harris in her first race for district attorney in San Francisco.
“It shows voters that they matter, that their state matters, that their city matters. It’s a very holistic approach. We don’t always have to send out our basics to play defense. They can also play in attack.”
Harris has focused her latest message on urging Americans to vote Democrats into office as a last stand against Republicans trying to pass restrictive abortion and voting rights bills. The former California attorney general stressed that voters should focus on down-ballot races that could determine who controls election systems and states.
“We’re going to need people in the statehouse and at the local level who have the courage to stand up and push back against what’s happening in our country. And then, in this way, it matters who your ruler is. Who is your attorney general has issues. Who your lieutenant governor is matters. Because it’s going to be the last line of defense with what we’re seeing happening in our country,” Harris told the crowd in New York, citing Republican threats of a national abortion ban.
The vice president’s argument is complementary to Biden’s final message warning Americans that democracy itself is on a precipice, likely to be swept away if election naysayers win key races. Biden, his advisers and Harris have sought to reframe the midterms as a choice between the two parties rather than a referendum on the Biden administration.
Those close to Harris say her decades-long work on abortion has been her biggest asset on the trail, lending her credibility to voters who wonder what their administration has done to protect women’s rights. The vice president has held nearly 40 events in Washington and across the country on the issue, making her the administration’s primary messenger on the issue. This effort comes as the Biden administration has unilaterally implemented small measures to try to ensure access to abortion.
“He started talking about liberty, freedom and standing up for abortion as an elected leader very early on,” the source close to Harris added about the strategy as he met with state legislatures, college presidents, labor leaders, religious leaders, students , women. magazines, community leaders and others.
“So it was very intentional to talk to people who were going to talk to other people about these issues, people who are kind of conduits to churches or communities.”
Harris’ office says her midterm focus has been on women, youth and people of color.
“She’s been very effective at using the bully pulpit of the vice president to help elevate state and local candidates,” Minyon Moore, a veteran Democratic strategist and outside adviser to Harris, told CNN. “Whether it’s the last four days he’s been campaigning for women, or it’s the last two months he’s been here, criss-crossing the country. The fact is, any time you bring in a president or a vice president, there’s no better person to let you know how the policies they’ve adopted affect the American people.”
Laphonza Butler, a former senior adviser on Harris’ campaign who is now the president of Emily’s List, joked that Harris’ role this midterm is “dot leader.”
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