SAVANNAH, Ga. – Vice-president Kamala Harris On Thursday, he visited parts of Georgia to try to shore up Democratic support battlefield situation it is not visited by politicians as much as the more populous metro Atlanta area.
“Over the last two election cycles, the voters in this state, you who are here, have given up,” Harris said. “You sent two extraordinary senators to Washington”
Georgians rallied to put a Democrat in the Oval Office four years ago, he said, and he hopes to do so again.
“You showed up, knocked on doors, registered people to vote and made it happen,” Harris said. “You did it. Now we ask you to do it again.”
The rally comes after Harris and his running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz, wrapped up a two-day bus tour of southeast Georgia. During a stop at a Savannah cafe Thursday, Harris said he plans to introduce a tax credit proposal for new startups and small businesses next week.
“That’s one of my single priorities, investing and growing our small business,” he said.
Shortly before the rally, Harris was joined by Walz Joint interview with CNN will air on Thursdays at 9:00 PM ET. This is the vice president’s first sit-down interview since launching his bid for the White House in late July.
The crowd at Savannah’s Enmarket Arena began trickling into the venue more than three hours before Harris was scheduled to perform, braving the pouring rain as they waited in long lines to get through security. In the arena, energetic supporters held signs reading “Freedom” and “A New Way Forward” and danced to the tunes of local radio host CJ the DJ. like blue and white lights flashed through the audience.
A Harris-Walz campaign official said 7,500 people participated. This is the maximum capacity for the venue, the official said.
Protesters interrupted Harris twice and the audience cheered as he escorted them out. One of the protesters was pro-Palestinian, but it was unclear what the other protester said.
Accompanied by the first protester, Harris said, “I’m speaking now,” adding that he and President Joe Biden were working “around the clock” to reach a deal on hostages.
Walz was not on stage for the Savannah rally. He is in North Carolina for two campaign events.
Biden won Georgia in 2020 by less than 12,000 votes. One of the state’s heaviest blue areas is metro Atlanta, where Biden outperformed 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in almost every county.
But Democratic leaders in Savannah say the Harris campaign has helped expand party support in the state’s southeast.
“Atlanta has always gotten the juice, it’s always gotten the love, but here in Southeast Georgia, we really matter,” said Aaron “Adot” Whitely, chairman of the Chatham County Democratic Party, where Savannah is based.
Biden won Chatham with 58.6% of the vote in 2020, narrowly improving Democratic margins in the two blue southeastern states.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who spoke about the need for Democrats to reach out more strongly to cities outside of Atlanta, said he feels the Harris campaign has responded to his call by opening seven field offices in South Georgia.
“Often the misconception is that Georgia is Atlanta and Atlanta is Georgia,” Johnson said. “Every city, every county has its own flavor and its own history, and so it would be foolish to think that you can go in and out of Atlanta and cover Georgia.”
Jonae Wartel, senior adviser to the Harris campaign in Georgia, emphasized that Democrats learned from the successful 2021 Senate runoff races the importance of having a statewide strategy while serving as runoff director for Georgia Democrats.
Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff won the Georgia races nearly four years ago, giving Democrats a majority in the Senate. Warnock retained his seat in 2022, defeating his Republican challenger.
“I think it’s very important to see Georgians not as a single type of voter, but as a broader coalition,” Wartel said. “That’s why it’s so important to take it to parts of Georgia outside of metro Atlanta.”
Harris campaign Georgia state director Porsha White said in a news release that since Harris announced her campaign, the campaign has seen a surge in volunteer efforts, with more than 35,000 people joining volunteer efforts in Georgia.
Amy Morton, CEO of Southern Majority, a Democratic consulting firm, said Harris’ rise to the top of the ticket is also a “game changer” for down-ballot races.
Often, Democrats in swing districts try to distance themselves from the presidential candidate, Morton said.
“It turned around in this case,” he said. “I already have Republican opponents in these districts who are running away from Trump.”