In her first out-of-state engagement since the official announcement of the Biden/Harris 2024 run, Vice President Kamala Harris made her way back to Atlanta to speak at the Democratic Party of Georgia’s Spring Soiree on Friday.
Over 300 guests attended the off-year fundraiser to witness the historic VP back in the peach state for the third time this year.
Prior to Harris’ speech, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams spoke to reporters on the significance of this triple visit to Georgia’s impact on this upcoming presidential race,
“Well, the Vice President being here tonight is evidence of the importance of Georgia in the 2024 election cycle,” Williams said. “We will continue to be the center of the political universe. And we’re getting ready to go on the ground, and make sure that we’re continuing to engage Georgia voters in every corner of every county.”
The chairwoman for the Democratic Party of Georgia elaborated on the organization’s plans regarding concerns of potential low turnout at the polls for Biden/Harris.
“We’re organizing…We understand that you have to talk to voters. You have to talk to voters about issues that matter to them, and what you’ve already done for them,” she said.
Attendees of the exclusive event were optimistic, but cautious, regarding the chances of Georgia turning blue again. In 2020, the Biden/Harris ticket made history as the first Democratic win for Georgia in 28 years. The last time Georgia went blue before Biden’s victory was for Bill Clinton back in 1992, according to CNN.
Quantavius Foster, chairman of Emanuel County’s Democratic Committee, was hopeful about the current administration’s chances of gaining a second term, but warned that it would take even harder work to pull it off.
“I’m old school,” Foster said. “It’s going to take canvassing, and going door to door. And putting actual money in the campaign, but I think they will be able to do it like we did last time.“
Jessica Waters, a former organizer for Biden’s Georgia campaign team, also suggested that the current administration’s work on behalf of her home state speaks for itself,
“I absolutely hope so,” Waters said. “Because I think we’ve seen a lot of productive things that have come from the ticket for Georgians. I feel like he’s [Biden] has done a lot for Georgia.”
When Harris arrived to greet Georgia supporters with 2024 on the horizon, she spoke on how Georgia’s blue wave changed the political landscape in the South.
“When we hear the people’s voice through their vote, anything can happen, and Georgia Democrats helped deliver it,” the former California Senator exclaimed. “In the last few years, the leaders in this room have made a transformative impact on people around the nation and the world, which from my perspective is about the power of the descendants.”
The Vice President continued in her praise of Georgia’s political organizers and volunteers, signaling that this continued acknowledgment is a gateway to an increased voter turnout.
“The work the people in this room continue to do, including registering voters, expanding the coalitions, and activating and inspiring people,” she said. “This is the work that helps attract new waves of Black Americans, Asian-Americans, and Latinos to the South.”
Harris spoke further about extremist Republican candidates and their agenda “to silence the voices of the people and roll back our progress” on issues specifically mentioned, such as abortion and gun reform.
Emphasizing what Democrats are up against, such as radical GOP opponents, and what the administration has done to improve the lives of Southerners so far, was Harris’ mobilization tactic as they seek to not only regain but increase the numbers needed at the polls.
Currently, President Biden’s approval ratings have sunk since the beginning of his term, specifically in Georgia where his overall approval dropped 10% in two years. However, for Democrats within the state specifically, Biden still maintains a strong hold on the party voters, as 86% still support and approve of his candidacy for 2024.
In what is looking to be another battle with Donald Trump for the nation’s highest office, Biden’s campaign trail is already sending out high-profile faces such as Harris to motivate the electorate in critical states.
The Vice President’s consecutive trips to visit with Democrats in the new swing state is proof that extra attention will need to be placed on Georgia voters as the race for four more years heats up. Her 15-minute call to action left the crowd of donors and volunteers in high hopes that Georgia will get the job done for the Biden/Harris ticket for the second time.
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