How Harris Established Her Political Network as Vice President

Before becoming the Democratic nominee for president, there were doubts among party elites and Washington insiders about Vice President Kamala Harris's ability to mobilize voters effectively.

Her approval ratings were low, and she faced criticism from both Republicans and fellow Democrats for early missteps in her role. Additionally, she struggled with staff retention.

However, while Beltway opinions were set, Harris was actively building a robust political network across the country and online. Through direct engagement with tens of thousands of political activists and voters—particularly via college campus tours, events advocating for reproductive rights, and pushing an economic empowerment agenda focused on the Black community—Harris managed to galvanize her party.

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., noted Harris's longstanding efforts, highlighting her engagement with the influential culinary union in his state through numerous events and a significant address. "Those same workers are now showing up for her, launching one of the largest ground campaigns I’ve seen," he said. "That’s going to pay great dividends."

If Harris secures Nevada for Democrats for the fifth consecutive election—despite polls showing former President Donald Trump with a slight lead—the turnout effort by the 60,000-member culinary workers union will be crucial to her success.

Her campaign activities earlier this year, including repeated visits to key swing states, targeted segments of the electorate vital for maintaining the White House. In March, Harris made history as the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic, traveling to Minnesota to promote reproductive rights alongside Governor Tim Walz, now her running mate.

The 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning abortion rights energized Harris, positioning her as a leading voice against the decision and subsequent state abortion bans. "A year after Dobbs, it is clear where this is headed: Extremist Republicans in Congress have proposed to ban abortion nationwide," Harris stated in a June 2023 speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, another crucial swing state. "But I have news for them: We're not having that."

Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All and a former Biden administration official, noted that Kamala Harris has built deep and enduring relationships with abortion-rights activists dating back to her time as a senator in California.

During her Senate tenure, Harris made headlines by vigorously questioning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, which helped her gain a national following among abortion-rights advocates. Although Kavanaugh was confirmed, Harris won many new supporters. She continued her advocacy by traveling to Arizona in April to discuss reproductive rights following the enforcement of the state’s 19th-century abortion ban, and she spoke in Florida in May when new restrictions were introduced. Both states have been pivotal in recent presidential elections, with Arizona split between Trump and Biden and Florida leaning slightly towards Trump.

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"All of it adds up and matters," Timmaraju said.

As of August 14, Harris had visited seven battleground states—Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—between four and seven times in 2024 alone, according to her campaign.

At her first rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee in Atlanta on July 30, Harris was introduced by Tyler Greene, a Morehouse College graduate who had participated in a May 2023 roundtable on young men of color and small business. Her campus tour also allowed her to connect with an estimated 15,000 students across institutions serving students of color, community colleges, vocational schools, and state universities.

"The best thing that happened to Kamala Harris was leaving the Naval Observatory and the Capitol to engage directly with voters outside Washington, D.C.," said Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state representative and Harris supporter.

While Biden’s role as vice president often involved deal-making on Capitol Hill—a fitting use of his extensive Senate experience—Harris, having served as a senator for only four years, found her skills better suited to advancing the administration’s agenda through national engagement, according to Sellers.

"Kamala Harris' job is different because she is one of our more effective messengers," Sellers explained. "When issues like reproductive rights, college tours, or Black economic mobility are at the forefront, her presence on the road is far more valuable than being bogged down with Senate negotiations."

Should she be elected president, Harris will need to collaborate with her former Senate colleagues. For now, her extensive travels and the connections she's made with engaged voters appear to be benefiting her campaign.