Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at a marketing campaign rally at Desert Diamond Area on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (Related Press Picture/Ross D. Franklin)
GLENDALE, Arizona — Vice President Kamala Harris drew on her prosecutorial background to make her first expansive pitch on immigration to border-state voters as she and her new operating mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attracted hundreds to a marketing campaign rally throughout their tour of battleground states.
Harris, the previous lawyer basic of California, reminded the group that she, as a regulation enforcement official, focused transnational gangs, drug cartels, and smugglers.
“I prosecuted them in case after case, and I received,” Harris mentioned in entrance of a crowd of greater than 15,000 in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix. “So I do know what I’m speaking about.”
Harris promoted a border safety invoice {that a} bipartisan group of senators negotiated earlier this yr, which Republican lawmakers in the end opposed en masse at Republican nominee Donald Trump’s behest.
“Donald Trump doesn’t wish to repair this drawback,” Harris mentioned. “Be clear about that: he has no curiosity or want to truly repair the issue. He talks a giant sport about border safety, however he doesn’t stroll the stroll.”
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Her effort to handle immigration — a political legal responsibility that has dogged Harris for many of her vice presidency — head-on within the important battleground state is a part of a broader push from her marketing campaign to make good points in Solar Belt states that had develop into more and more out of attain with Joe Biden on the high of the ticket.
Trump and his allies, who had lengthy hammered Biden over the inflow of migrants throughout his time period, are actually shifting their assaults to Harris.
Kari Lake, who’s operating in opposition to Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego for an open Senate seat in Arizona, unveiled an advert late final week bashing Gallego for supporting what the advert calls Biden’s and Harris’ “radical border agenda,” that includes repeated clips of the vice chairman chortling.
“It’s very simple for us to segue and swap our sights and deal with her,” mentioned Dave Smith, Pima County’s Republican get together chairman.
However Harris has been courting the state’s fast-growing Latino inhabitants with a brand new advert of her personal, highlighting how Harris, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, rose to the best echelons of American politics.
And, as she has completed in different marketing campaign stops, Harris infused the theme of “freedom” all through her remarks, particularly because it got here to voting rights, gun restrictions, LBGT rights, and entry to abortion.
“Arizona, ours is a battle for the longer term and it’s a battle for freedom,” Harris mentioned, who had walked out on the stage as Beyonce’s “Freedom” blared all through Desert Diamond Area.
The rally was held in a state represented by Democrat Mark Kelly within the U.S. Senate, whom Harris handed over as a operating mate. The previous astronaut and gun management advocate had been a high contender for operating mate. He’s received two powerful races in politically divided Arizona.
In passing over Kelly, Harris could have additionally misplaced the prospect to win over individuals like Gonzalo Leyva, a 49-year-old landscaper in Phoenix. Leyva plans to vote for Trump however says he would have backed a Harris-Kelly ticket.
“I favor Kelly like 100 instances,” mentioned Leyva, a lifelong Democrat who grew to become an impartial originally of Trump’s time period in workplace. “I don’t assume he’s that excessive like the opposite guys.”
In Arizona, each vote will probably be important. The state isn’t any stranger to nail-biter races, together with in 2020 when Biden bested Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes. Each events are bracing for the same picture end this yr.
“These previous few months are going to really feel like years, and it’s powerful to see anybody successful by a big margin,” mentioned Constantine Querard, a veteran Republican strategist within the state.
Harris acknowledged how powerful the race will probably be, as she and Walz toured a marketing campaign workplace in North Phoenix Friday afternoon and thanked volunteers, who have been making indicators with sayings similar to “This Mamala is Voting for Kamala” and “Kamala and the Coach.” (Walz has been a highschool soccer coach). She additionally emphasised it throughout the rally.
“As thrilling as that is, we can not lose sight of a extremely vital truth: we’re undoubtedly operating because the underdog,” Harris mentioned. “We’re the underdog. We’re out in nice numbers, however we obtained numerous work to do.”
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and operating mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz go to a marketing campaign workplace, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Related Press Picture/Julia Nikhinson)
Democrats profess confidence that Harris is in stable form within the state even with out Kelly on the ticket. The senator plans to stay a powerful advocate for Harris and is already talked about for attainable Cupboard posts or different distinguished roles ought to the vice chairman ascend to the Oval Workplace.
“What that is about is who works tougher. That’s it,” Kelly mentioned on the rally. “It is so simple as that.”
“Not choosing Kelly hasn’t put the brakes on assist for Harris,” mentioned Stacy Pearson, a Democratic strategist in Phoenix. She mentioned she feels the identical enthusiasm for the brand new ticket that has led to large crowds greeting Harris and Walz at prior stops on their tour, together with the house of one other operating mate also-ran, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
One other Democratic strategist in Arizona, D.J. Quinlan, agreed. “There’s a ton of enthusiasm on the bottom. It’s the closest factor to me to what 2008 felt like,” he mentioned, referring to former President Barack Obama’s first run, which electrified Democratic voters.
Arizona is one thing of a magnet for Midwesterners in search of to flee the chilly. So, a number of observers say, Walz should still play properly there. The governor himself famous that in his opening remarks for Harris, saying: “I’m like a rattling snowman, I’m melting right here.”
Scott Snyder, who moved to Phoenix three years in the past from Detroit, wasn’t too conversant in Kelly’s background or his politics, however mentioned Harris made the appropriate alternative with Walz.
“He jogs my memory numerous my dad,” mentioned Snyder, an electrician. “You see photos of him on the market teaching highschool soccer. That’s one thing that resonates with me. You see him on the market duck searching. Similar factor. That’s pretty frequent in Michigan, the place I’m from.”
Arizona was reliably Republican till Trump’s combative method to politics went nationwide.
READ: Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as operating mate
In 2016, Trump received Arizona, then rapidly began feuding with the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a political icon within the state. That sparked a gentle exodus of educated, average Republicans from the GOP and towards Democrats in top-of-the-ticket contests.
In 2018, Democrats received an open Senate race within the state, foreshadowing Kelly’s 2020 win and Biden’s victory there as properly. In 2022, Kelly received once more, and Democrats swept the highest three statewide races for governor, lawyer basic and secretary of state, defeating Republican candidates who hewed to Trump’s model and his lies about fraud costing him the 2020 presidential election.
Chuck Coughlin, a Republican strategist and former McCain staffer, mentioned the identical voters who tipped the state to Democrats prior to now few cycles stay lukewarm, at finest, on Trump.
“Trump’s not doing something to embrace that phase of the voters,” he mentioned.
And there was a contemporary reminder of yet one more legal responsibility for Harris this fall, when she paused to straight handle Gaza protesters who interrupted her remarks.
Harris mentioned she has been clear that “now’s the time to get a ceasefire deal” to finish preventing between Israel and Hamas that has induced the deaths of tens of hundreds of individuals in Gaza. The doubtless Democratic presidential nominee mentioned she and President Biden “are working across the clock day-after-day to get that cease-fire deal completed and produce the hostages dwelling.”
Harris added, “I respect your voices, however we’re right here to now discuss this race in 2024.”
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She responded in a different way earlier this week when Gaza protesters interrupted her throughout a Detroit-area rally. She talked over the protesters.
