DETROIT– Deputy Director Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will emphasize their support for unions during an appearance at a Detroit-area union hall, as the new Democratic ticket focuses on a crucial base of support.
Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, and Walz, who joined the ticket on Tuesday, plans to speak to dozens of members of the United Auto Workers on Thursday.
After the president Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign last month and endorsed his vice president, the union quickly threw its weight behind Harris. The AFL-CIO endorsed her after initially endorsing Biden. The UAW formally endorsed her last week.
Harris and Walz emphasized their support for working people during their first joint appearances this week in some of the most contested states that will help decide whether she becomes the first female U.S. president or the Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House and brings Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice president.
Democrats visited Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, hoping to boost support among the younger, diverse, working-class voters who played a key role in helping Biden to be elected in 2020.
UAW President Shawn Fain told The Associated Press last week that Harris’s lead on the Democratic ticket boosts the party’s chances of winning Michigan and retaining the White House in November. Fain also spoke Wednesday at Harris’ campaign rally in a hangar at a Detroit-area airport.
Fain said in the interview that Trump is dependent on billionaires, knows nothing about the auto industry and would completely turn his back on the labor movement in a second term.
The UAW leader has become a major enemy of the Republican presidential candidate, frequently attacking Fain at rallies and in speeches.
Vance made his own stops in Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday, aiming to show that Republicans will fight in the “blue wall” of the Midwest states. He called Walz a “crazy radical” and said Harris’ decision to choose him as her running mate shows she is “bending the knee to the far-left Democratic Party.”
As Harris spoke to an estimated crowd of 15,000 people at the airport, she was interrupted by protesters against Israel’s war in Gaza with Hamas. At first, Harris told those who tried to disrupt her, “I’m here because I believe in democracy, and every vote counts.”
But Harris lost her cool as the shouting continued and protesters accused her of supporting genocide in Gaza, prompting her to issue a sharper retort.
“If you want Donald Trump to win, say so,” she said, speaking over the protesters. “Otherwise I will speak.”
Union members who attended the rally said they supported Harris.
Jeanne Ruff of Livonia, Michigan, whose husband is a longtime UAW member, said she hoped Harris would visit a union shop in Michigan to show her support.
“I want her to make sure we get skilled workers back into schools so the next generation understands what unions are about, what solidarity is, and how strong we can be together, as one,” Ruff said.
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Associated Press writers Tom Krisher and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.