Kamala Harris is Biden's secret weapon in North Carolina

Vice President Harris has become the Biden campaign's secret weapon in North Carolina, a battleground state that incumbent presidents say they can win in November.

Harris this week made her fifth trip this year to the state, where she spent much of her time speaking directly to Black communities — particularly Black men, a demographic that President Biden has struggled with to woo – to tout the administration's accomplishments as part of a broader, nationwide economic tour.

“I firmly believe that our administration’s accomplishments – such as the creation of 15 million new jobs; create more than 800,000 new jobs in the manufacturing sector; Historically low unemployment rates, particularly for the black community, are very important. Critically important,” Harris said Wednesday during a moderated discussion in Charlotte, alongside actor Michael Ealy and television commentator Bakari Sellers, both of whom are Black.

“I'm very aware that, you know, we can do all these good things in Washington, D.C., but if it doesn't take to the streets, it doesn't matter,” Harris said.

Democrats say Harris' series of trips shows the campaign's investment in North Carolina as they try to steal a state won by former President Trump in 2020. And Harris is a central part of that strategy , say those close to the campaign.

“She is one of the administration's best spokespersons for the black community,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, who served as Harris' communications director until last year. “The president has also made his case to the black community, but it’s clear the vice president has a different kind of appeal.”

Democratic strategist Joel Payne said Harris could be effective as a Biden surrogate with Democratic voters, including African Americans.

“I think there's a relationship between pushing her more and having her attacked more with how she's being received more positively on the campaign trail,” Payne said.

Yet even Biden's allies acknowledge that winning North Carolina could be an uphill battle, even with Harris' visits. No Democratic candidate has managed to achieve this goal since 2008, when Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won the presidency.

And with less than five months until Election Day, Trump has a healthy lead in the state, according to polls.

A poll released last week by the Center for Survey Research at East Carolina University showed Trump leading Biden by 5 points in the state, with support 48 percent to 43 percent.

Across key polls by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill, Trump holds a 5.4-point lead over Biden.

“I think we are dreaming,” admitted a Democratic strategist. “It’s great that the vice president is spending time there. This is what we should be doing with all these battleground states.

“There is nothing against the vice president. I think she’s doing what she can to help influence black voters,” the strategist added. “I just think the odds are against us.”

Harris' approval rating also remains broadly undervalued among the electorate.

A Politico/Morning Consult survey released this week showed the vice president had a 42 percent approval rating. And she has a general perception problem among voters about whether she would be a formidable leader for the Democratic Party; the same poll showed that 42 percent of voters described her as a strong leader, and 57 percent of respondents said they thought Harris could win a presidential election.

But the same survey showed her progress among black voters in particular. She has a 67% favorability rating among that demographic, underscoring an uptick for her, having consistently trailed Biden with black voters when both were in the 2020 Democratic primary race, and even after he chose her as a candidate. Biden has a 63 percent approval rating among black voters.

In a memo this week, Dory MacMillan, communications director for the Biden campaign in North Carolina, said the state's Democrats “hit the ground running earlier than ever” and are building a campaign “that won't let any vote on the table.

MacMillan said that while the Biden campaign has opened field offices across the state, Trump “does not have any dedicated campaign offices or staff in North Carolina.”

Harris, Biden aides note, was in the state in April to open the first field office in Charlotte. She also appeared in black media across the state, including on Charlotte's Power 98 FM.

During two visits in March, Harris helped launch Students for Biden-Harris and announced investments in strengthening Black Wall Street small businesses in Durham. She also gave a speech in Raleigh with Biden about the administration's work to lower health care costs.

Political observers say investments made by the Biden campaign — including Harris' visits — could pay off in a state expected to be won at the margins.

“There are very few compelling voters, which means the vast majority depends on who shows up,” said Michael Bitzer, chair of the politics department at Catawba College in North Carolina.

“And what we've seen over the last two election cycles is that Black turnout is lower than state averages, so any time there's a recognition — a court, if you want – from a constituency that is a vital part of your coalition, it pays to be here.”

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