ATLANTA, Georgia – Vice President Kamala Harris will be speaking before the largest crowd of any national Democratic candidate this season when she holds a rally Tuesday night in the battleground state of Georgia’s capital and largest city.
Hours before the vice president arrived in Atlanta, the Georgia State Convention Center, which has a capacity of 8,000 for the concert, was packed with supporters.
It’s another sign of the energy and excitement returning to the party, nine days after President Biden’s shock announcement that he was suspending his reelection campaign against former President Trump and endorsing his vice president.
One of those five Democrats could be Harris’ running mate.
A crowd gathers inside the Georgia State Convention Center ahead of a rally hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris on July 30, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Biden’s immediate endorsement of Harris sparked a surge of support for the vice president from Democratic governors, senators, representatives and other party leaders and elders. Within 36 hours, Harris announced she had secured the party’s nomination with the verbal endorsement of a majority of the convention’s roughly 4,000 delegates.
The 2024 War: Trump, Harris and the Race for Vice President
“Freedom is on the ballot in November, which is why I’ll be traveling to Atlanta tonight with @theestallion to speak about the importance of this election,” the vice president wrote in a social media post on his way to Atlanta.
The rally received approximately 20,000 RSPVs ahead of the event, and will feature a performance by rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks at her first campaign rally at West Allis Central High School on July 23, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris’ visit will be a key test of Democratic momentum in key Southeast battleground states where Biden narrowly defeated Trump four years ago.
Once a Republican stronghold, Georgia has seen extremely competitive presidential, Senate and gubernatorial elections in recent years, largely due to the growing power of Black and Latino voters, who make up the majority of the state’s Democratic base.
How long will Harris’ polling honeymoon last?
But Biden’s dismal performance against Trump in a debate in Atlanta in late June raised questions about whether he is physically and mentally capable of serving in the White House for another four years.
The incident also prompted growing calls from within his own party for the 81-year-old president to end his bid for a second term in the White House.
After the debate, polls began to show Trump gaining an advantage over Biden in key battleground states, including Georgia.
The former president plans to retake Georgia in November.
Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance introduces Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump at a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota on July 27, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Hours before Ms. Harris arrived in Atlanta, the Trump campaign announced that the former president and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, would hold a rally Saturday at the same Georgia State Conference Center where Ms. Harris will gather on Tuesday.
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Former President Trump has drawn large crowds to his rallies since launching his 2024 presidential campaign more than a year and a half ago, so the venue is likely to be easily filled to capacity.
Ahead of the Atlanta rally, Harris’ campaign highlighted her significant local advantage over the Trump campaign in battleground states.
Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground states director, noted that the campaign has 24 affiliate offices in Georgia, putting it well ahead of the Trump campaign, which opened its first office in June.
“In an election that is likely to be decided by just tens of thousands of votes, an advantage in this battleground state will almost certainly be decisive,” Kanninen argued.
The vice president was scheduled to meet with local abortion rights activists ahead of the rally, another sign that he plans to make the issue a centerpiece of his White House campaign.
Harris’ campaign said the vice president’s speech “will make clear how she will prioritize strengthening middle-class families.”
Regarding inflation, which has eased from highs two years ago but remains a persistent issue for most Americans, Harris said, “The key to solving this problem is recognizing that many of the essentials families rely on remain too expensive, and she will unveil plans to reduce costs.”
The campaign also noted that Harris “is expected to address the state of the race, reiterating that while she is behind in the race, she has real momentum and grassroots enthusiasm on her side, and criticizing Mr. Trump for promising to participate in the debate.”
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