Harris campaign hits the ground running; hosts thousands of events over weekend

The Kamala Harris campaign held thousands of events across the country over the weekend, focussing on battleground states, making a case for the vice president’s vision of the US driven by people’s power.

Vice President Harris, 59, is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. She officially declared her candidacy for president last week after incumbent President Joe Biden withdrew from the race for a second term on July 20. She is, however, yet to be officially declared as the presidential candidate by the Democrats.

Campaign raised $200 million in a week

The Harris campaign said on Sunday (July 28) it has intensified its effort after raising a whopping USD 200 million in a week and with 17,000 volunteers having signed up.

Over the weekend, the campaign mobilised thousands of grassroots supporters who have signed up to volunteer since the campaign launch - through thousands of events, phone banks, and canvass launches across the battleground states.

Harris will be up against former president Donald Trump, the Republican Party's presidential candidate for the high-stakes November 5 general elections.

Taking to X, 'Harris for President' Battleground States Director Dan Kanninen said, "100 days out! Our teams in battleground states have been building and were ready for it. 1,300+ staff (and growing), 250+ offices, (and) tens of thousands of volunteers. Talking to millions of voters. 2,300 events in battlegrounds. Just this weekend.”

“One hundred days before Election Day, Team Harris is leveraging the historic grassroots enthusiasm we’ve seen for our campaign and putting it to work. For over a year, our team has been building the battleground infrastructure needed to reach and persuade the voters who will decide this election - and now, we’re kicking it into overdrive,” continued Kanninen.

‘Enormous advantage over Trump in battleground states’

“We have an enormous battleground advantage over Donald Trump, and this weekend, that is going to be painfully clear to the Trump-Vance campaign. Our campaign is off to a running start and doing the work to defeat Donald Trump and send Vice President Harris to the Oval Office,” he said.

The battleground States are Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina.

According to the campaign, this weekend, Team Harris held Kamala coffee hours, soul food potlucks, Pride trivia nights, office openings, and other events to reach voters wherever they are and talk to them about all that’s at stake in the November 5 election.

Leaders like Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and many volunteers hit the doors to talk directly to voters.

In addition, 'Harris for President' organised phone banks for bilingual Spanish speakers, labour organisers, and senior citizens. The campaign also held youth, women, labour, and LGBTQ+ national organising calls with thousands of supporters.

It also hosted watch parties so volunteers and supporters could watch Harris on RuPaul’s Drag Race and learn more about how they can volunteer with and support her White House bid.

“In a close election and a fragmented media environment, our campaign is leveraging trusted messengers and preexisting community ties to break through to voters and drive home the stakes of this election,” a statement by the campaign said.

Broad, diverse coalition

In addition, dozens of high-profile surrogates representing the broad, diverse coalition the campaign represents were on the road and in their home states campaigning for Harris this weekend.

“While Donald Trump still has little to no infrastructure in the battlegrounds, the Vice President inherits more than 250 coordinated battleground offices and 1,300 staff who have been building strong relationships and volunteer bases on the ground for months,” the Harris Campaign said.

“This week, the Vice President also raised more money in 48 hours than Donald Trump did in all of June - on top of the quarter billion war chest she inherited from the Biden-Harris campaign," it said.

"With a popular message, a strong record, multiple pathways to 270 electoral voters, and unprecedented funding and enthusiasm on her side, the Vice President is in a strong position to take on Donald Trump and win in 100 days,” the campaign said.

Symbol of hope for 4.4 million Indian-Americans

Vice President Kamala Harris is a symbol of hope and representation for more than 4.4 million Indian-Americans in the US, a Democratic fundraiser has said, asserting that her presidential campaign's "organic, grassroots enthusiasm" is producing results.

“Kamala Harris, with her Indian origin, brings an additional layer of excitement and support from the Indian-American community. As someone whose mother hailed from Chennai, India, Kamala Harris is not just a candidate but a symbol of hope and representation for over 4.4 million Indian Americans," Ajay Bhutoria, deputy national finance chair, 'Harris for President, 2024' said on Sunday (July 28).

"This community, historically engaged and influential, is poised to be a margin of victory in key battleground states,” Bhutoria said in a statement.

“Harris has been a candidate for less than a week, but she’s already coalesced the entire Democratic Party around her campaign, and the organic, grassroots enthusiasm is producing results,” Bhutoria said.

“From record-breaking fundraising to unprecedented crowds and volunteers pouring into field offices across the battlegrounds, Team Harris is fired up to elect the Vice President and defeat the extremist Trump-Vance ticket,” he said.

‘Future built on progress and inclusion’

The momentum and energy for Harris is real – and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states.

“That’s why our campaign is harnessing the energy across the country for a weekend of action to mark 100 days out from the election (today!),” Bhutoria said.

“Kamala Harris stands as a beacon of hope and leadership in a time when America is at a crossroads. Her candidacy represents a bold vision for the future, one that promises to strengthen democracy, protect reproductive rights, and create opportunities for every American to thrive," he said.

"As we face a critical choice between a future built on progress and inclusion versus one driven by division and regression, Harris offers a compelling path forward,” Bhutoria said.

(With agency inputs)