Amid worries that Democrats’ blue wall may be cracking, governors hit the road for Kamala Harris
FLINT, MI — The Democratic governors of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin this week embarked on a hastily organized bus tour, rolling through the fall landscape to highlight the urgency of the matter for vice president. Kamala Harris in must-win states where Some Democrats are concerned that she is having a hard time.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers all descended on Flint on Thursday afternoon, joined by national Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison. In a joint interview with The Associated Press, all three acknowledged the enormity of the commitment but rejected any suggestion that their efforts reflected anything other than the need to involve all hands.
“All three of us know what it’s like to compete and win really tough, exciting races,” Shapiro said. “So I think the more we can come out and not just thank the volunteers for being here today, maybe we can calm some nerves as well.”
Despite these reassurances, some Michigan Democrats have expressed concerns about Harris’ chances in the state against former President Donald Trump. Rep. Debbie Dingell has noted that “nobody” is currently winning Michigan, while Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is running for U.S. Senate, has said that she seen signs that Harris is behind in the state.
At an indoor farmers market in Flint, the signs of an event that happened quickly were hard to miss. Music blared from an iPhone after the venue’s sound system broke down. One attendee, Debbie McIntosh, said she received a “last-minute invite” yesterday.
“I was surprised, I just thought Governor Whitmer would be here. I didn’t know Shapiro and the governor of Wisconsin would be here,” said McIntosh, from the nearby town of Grand Blanc.
While winning the three “Blue Wall states” – so called because they have long represented crucial elements in the Democratic Party’s path to victory – are not Harris’ only way to win; it is her clearest way based on recent elections. But she faces challenges in both cities, including concerns about black voter turnout in the largest cities — Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia — and growing frustration over the war between Israel and Hamas, which has angered both Arab-American and Jewish voters made.
Harris has worked hard to address concerns, and she is stepping up her campaign program in the region. She plans to spend almost the entire week in the blue wall states, ending with multiple events in Michigan on Friday and Saturday.
No one knows better how to win over these states than their Democratic governors, all of whom are up for re-election in 2022.
Whitmer, the co-chair of Harris’ campaign, said the idea came during a phone call between the governors and Harris’ campaign. Whitmer finances and organizes the tour.
“When it became clear that the whole world would focus on our three states, I said: what can we do that will be useful, that will motivate people?” she said. “And I said, hey, what do you think of the bus tour?”
The tour kicked off Monday in Wausau, Wisconsin, before moving across the state and arriving in Michigan on Wednesday. It will move on to Pennsylvania this weekend.
Addressing the crowd in Michigan, the three governors emphasized the high stakes of the 2024 presidential race, each in their own style: Whitmer and Shapiro took a more flashy approach, while Evers commanded the room in a quieter tone.
Less pronounced but not well hidden was the fact that everyone was betting a lot on the outcome. They know the importance of delivering their states to Harris, and the potential consequences of serving as governor under a president who has vowed to seek retribution against his political opponents, the campaign looms.
Whitmer and Shapiro, both once considered potential vice presidential picks before Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also have their own political futures at stake, win or lose. Both have themselves been mentioned as future presidential candidates, although their prospects could be worsened by defeat in the states they preside over.
“When we ask the question: how did you beat back the red wave in 2022? You look at it,” said Harrison, chairman of the DNC. “These three governors here had three of the toughest races in the midterm elections in the three battleground states that will determine this presidential election.”
Winning these states depends on reuniting a Democratic coalition that has been under pressure, especially among the Jewish and Arab American communities, because of the war between Israel and Hamas. While Harris can address these issues on a national scale, the governors have strong ties within their communities.
Whitmer has maintained close ties with Arab-American and Jewish leaders in metro Detroit and has worked to ease tensions during the ongoing war. While some Arab American leaders have cut off contact with Democrats over the tensions, Whitmer’s longstanding relationships in Dearborn have kept dialogue open on both state and national issues, said Osama Siblani, publisher of Arab American News.
Shapiro, who is Jewish, also said he has remained in close contact with Jewish and Arab Americans and hopes that each community “is able to have enough capacity in our hearts to bear everyone’s pain and understand that this hurts everyone, and that we all I want this war to end.”
“There’s all kinds of tricky things going on in the world these days,” Evers said. ‘Absolute. These things don’t stop because there’s an election in the US.
“But who can best address those problems? It’s Kamala Harris. He’s not someone who comes shooting from the hip, thinking he’s going to come in like a bull elk and solve all the problems.”
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