A memo released Wednesday by Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon argued that Vice President Harris is “well positioned” to win the November election, citing her ability to expand the coalition that brought her and President Biden to the White House and her appeal to persuadable voters.
“With a popular message, a strong track record on the issues that matter most to swing voters, multiple paths to the 270 electoral votes, and unprecedented enthusiasm, the Vice President is in a strong position to challenge Donald Trump and win within 104 days,” O’Malley Dillon wrote in a memo shared with reporters.
O’Malley Dillon cited three main reasons Harris is in a strong position: the support of 2020 Biden-Harris supporters, her ability to expand that coalition, and the potential for her to reach undecided voters as the Democratic candidate’s leadership changes. The campaign also boasts of strong enthusiasm, saying it had raised $126 million between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday night.
The memo cites Harris’ strong support among key segments of the Democratic base, particularly Black voters, Latino voters, women and younger voters. Quinnipiac University Poll The poll also showed Harris leading former President Trump by 54 points among black voters, and internal research showing her outperforming both Trump and Biden among Hispanic voters.
O’Malley Dillon argued that Harris is poised to expand her 2020 base, particularly on the issue of abortion. Since the 2020 election, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion has become a top issue for millions of voters. Harris is the face of the White House effort to protect abortion access and attack Republicans who strictly ban it, and her campaign argued that she could bring even more voters into her base.
“These voters supported Democrats in battleground states in 2022, so retaining them in 2024 will be crucial,” O’Malley Dillon wrote.
O’Malley Dillon also argued that having Harris as the front-runner rather than Biden has made the race “more fluid” and given her a chance to appeal to a small number of undecided voters who may not be as familiar with Harris as they are with Biden and Trump.
“This expanded base of winnable voters is highly accessible to VP Harris: we have clear issue advantages, they have supported Democrats in the past, and many support lower-ranking Democrats,” O’Malley Dillon wrote. “It will be the Harris campaign’s job to win over these voters, but the path to doing so is clear.”
The Harris campaign is still expected to focus on the blue wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which she cannot afford to lose in November – Biden won all three on his way to victory in 2020.
But O’Malley Dillon argued that North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada remain hot-button states, with Harris drawing support from young voters and minorities, giving her team multiple paths to winning 270 electoral votes.
The Harris campaign also touted the grassroots enthusiasm that has been evident since Biden announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection and would instead endorse Harris as his candidate.
O’Malley Dillon wrote in the memo that Harris’ campaign had raised more than $126 million by Tuesday evening. Harris’ rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday was the largest of her campaign’s so far, drawing more than 3,000 people. And more than 100,000 volunteers have signed up to work at the campaign trail since Sunday afternoon.
“This will be a close and tough race, but Vice President Harris is well positioned to prevail.”
Republicans quickly pivoted to attack Harris on immigration, labeling her the Biden administration’s “border czar” — not an official title Harris previously held, but a reference to her mission to address the root causes of migration in the Northern Triangle amid a surge in detentions at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Some Republicans have been more blatant, attacking Harris with racist and sexist slurs and criticizing her for being a diversity hire. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) urged caucus members to avoid such attacks.
“This election is about policy, not about personalities. It’s not personal about Kamala Harris,” Johnson said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Her ethnicity and gender have absolutely nothing to do with this election.”
