WASHINGTON — A group of Democrats who believe Vice President Kamala Harris should be the party’s nominee if President Joe Biden leaves office have quietly begun planning what her presidential campaign organization would look like and what her path to victory in November would look like, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the plans.
Harris, who continues to publicly and privately support Biden’s continued campaign, has not endorsed the effort, but it comes amid concerns from many that the vice president currently doesn’t have the personnel or organization he needs to surge to the top of the list of candidates, sources said. It’s unclear how much of Biden’s campaign organization will remain if he leaves office. Unscathed and whether it makes sense to continue a similar strategic initiative.
“Harris is not running this operation,” said one source familiar with the operation, speaking candidly on the condition of anonymity. “There is no outside group organizing on her behalf.”
As part of its work, the informal group, which includes Democratic strategists and aides with presidential campaign experience, is already considering how Harris’ victory strategy might differ from Biden’s strategy for winning in 2020 and his plans for this year. The group, which does not include Harris’ team and has not advocated for Biden stepping down, is also discussing who on Biden’s current campaign team should be replaced.
“Kamala Harris has a different path,” said one Democratic strategist, speaking candidly on the condition of anonymity, adding that some believe hers could be more focused on mobilizing black voters in Southern states like Georgia and North Carolina, rather than Biden’s strategy of tackling the lockdowns of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
The person also emphasized that those involved in Harris’ presidential run believe that Democrats need to be united and strongly mobilized at all levels of the party to defeat Republicans. One strategy could include inviting former first lady Michelle Obama, who remains popular among voters in opinion polls, to rallies in states such as Georgia, and former President Bill Clinton to events in Midwestern states such as Michigan.
“To get this done, Democrats would need to pursue an all-out strategy, and it’s unclear whether the party is ready for that,” the source said. “Everybody has to get out.”
As the effort progresses, President Trump and his allies have stepped up their attacks on Harris.
“She has a lot of the downsides of Biden and none of the upsides,” Trump pollster Jim McLaughlin said of a possible matchup with Harris.
But some progressive groups have vehemently disagreed with the poll’s assessment.
Way to Win, a national strategy hub for donors aligned with Democratic causes, has spent the past few weeks pouring money into studying how voters in battleground states perceive Biden and Harris, and how they can best support Harris, whatever Biden ultimately decides.
The group concluded that Biden and Harris received similar support among Democrats and independents, with room for improvement among independents. But it also found that Harris has seen “significant gains” from “younger voters, where Biden has struggled,” and is also performing well among people of color and women. The group’s data also showed that Harris’s work, as the administration’s most vocal advocate for access to abortion care since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago, has resonated strongly with Democrats and independents.
Meanwhile, Ms Harris remains a fierce defender of Mr Biden amid growing public calls among Democratic lawmakers and donors for him to step down, according to people familiar with her thinking and those who have spoken with her recently.
