ATLANTA — Georgia Democrats are operating with renewed intensity ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign rally in Georgia on Tuesday, with the party now bolstered by a candidate who lawmakers, organizers and voters say boosts their chances of keeping once-ruby Georgia. Democratic Hands in November.
The event will be Harris’ second rally since launching his own presidential campaign after President Joe Biden decided to drop out on July 21.
“There is an incredible amount of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris. I’ve never seen anything like this in my many years in Georgia politics,” said state representative Sam Park.
The park district is located in Gwinnett County, one of the largest jurisdictions in the state. It was once a conservative stronghold, but now it’s going Democratic by double digits thanks to demographic shifts and a diverse base of black, Latino and Asian voters.
Harris’ strength comes in part from a belief that he can better appeal to these voters, a belief that polls point to Harris’ early strength, particularly among voters of color and Gen Z voters.
In a state that Democrats have carried several times in recent years, but by the slimmest of margins, the question is whether Harris can play on those strengths alongside swing Republicans and independents who have abandoned former President Donald Trump and Trump-like candidates. In 2020 and 2022.
Republican leaders in the state argue that winning back Georgia will be a tall order for Harris, especially as they say plans to target Democrats on immigration and the economy remain unchanged.
“It’s actually a replacement of the Democratic candidates because Joe Biden couldn’t win. Failed policies remain the same, prioritizing agendas that put Americans last,” DeKalb County Republican Party Chairwoman Marci McCarthy described Harris’ popularity explosion in the state as a “sugar high.”
Still, the Harris campaign identified Georgia, along with other Sun Belt states, as key targets in a recent memo outlining a path to victory.
“The Vice President’s advantages with young voters, black voters and Latino voters will be important to our many ways to reach the 270 electoral votes,” wrote Harris for presidential campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
“Kamala Harris is appealing to a new generation,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., a longtime Biden ally. It excites first-timers to the party. Knows how to use social media technologies. He communicates with people on their level and people like what they hear.”
Harris’ sudden rise to the top of the Democratic ticket is also energizing voters eager to elect the first woman of color for president.
“I feel like this is history for us,” said voter Tracy Starks, 56, of Lithonia. “Great for women. Great for the black community. It’s just great. And I think he’s going to give Trump what he needs. He is not ready for that.”
Since Harris took office, Democrats have opened four new field offices across the state, including one in Gwinnett County, recruited 7,500 new volunteers and hosted nearly 200 events.
In all, the Harris campaign has 170 staffers working in 24 campaign offices across the state.
The new field offices aren’t just in Democratic strongholds where Harris needs to maximize turnout; they are also in predominantly Republican states.
“In Georgia, we’re running the largest in-state operation ever of a Democratic presidential campaign,” Tyler said, noting that offices are “strategically located in all corners of the state.”
On Sunday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, one of several Democratic governors vying to become Harris’ nominee, led the opening of a campaign office in Forsyth County, where Trump has 66% of the 2020 vote. Trump won other states by similar percentages. Areas targeted by the campaign include Butts and Lowndes.
“Every vote counts in Georgia and across America. There are no red counties and no blue counties. There are states with American families who just want a better life, and Vice President Harris will talk about that,” Beshar told reporters after speaking in Forsyth.
“So you win votes in these kinds of counties not by trying to move something to the right or to the left, but by the vice president moving us all forward,” he said.
That’s in line with advice from former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a lifelong Republican and outspoken Trump critic. one op-ed The Atlanta Journal-Constitution endorsed Harris, calling him “the best tool to prevent another tainted Trump presidency.”
“There are still pockets of undecided voters in the millions, including approx one fifth GOP voters who opposed former South Carolina governor and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley voted for her in the primaries held months after the Republican party,” Duncan wrote. “Harris must break with electoral convention and speak to these voters, resisting the urge to pander to his base.”
Duncan is among a group of Georgia Republicans who have rejected Trump over his efforts to nullify the state’s 2020 election, resulting in an indictment in Fulton County and the Harris campaign leaving a sour taste in Georgia’s mouths. There may be Republicans fed up with Trump’s antics.
“Donald Trump and the ticket have problems with Republicans in Georgia — look at Geoff Duncan,” said Harris campaign state director Dan Kanninen. “I think the combination of those two things, having a candidate who can mobilize our core coalition … and their problems with the Republicans brings this situation into play.”
Harris’ rally in Atlanta will mark his sixth visit to Georgia this year, where campaign officials said he will “lay out his vision for an America where we are moving forward, not backward” and will “pursue the case against Trump and his Project 2025.” , agenda.”
But beyond his remarks, his presence gives Democrats new optimism ahead of a difficult presidential campaign.
“The sun shines brightly; the sky is blue and clear,” Johnson said. “The path forward is clear and people feel good about the direction we’re going. It makes them feel so good to have someone at the top of our ticket that we can all get behind. , and that’s Kamala Harris.”