Rep. McClellan on Kamala Harris: Enthusiasm Like 2008, But Bigger

As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to officially become the Democratic nominee, Scripps News is talking with Democrats about how her candidacy has changed the race nationally. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress, spoke about the enthusiasm surrounding Harris’s campaign.

“There is an enthusiasm I haven’t seen since at least 2008 and I think it may even be bigger than that,” McClellan told moderator Joe St. George. She mentioned a call with over 40,000 Black women that raised over a million dollars and noted the excitement and eagerness to get involved.

“There is an excitement that is a real shot in the arm that we are gonna ride that wave to victory in November,” she said.

While McClellan didn’t explicitly say if Virginia is a battleground state, she emphasized the importance of Democrats engaging with voters. “When Democrats do the work to talk to people about the issues, to show the clear contrasts in the candidates and turnout voters, then it goes Democratic,” she said.

A public criticism of Harris is that her likely nomination is the result of delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention rather than a primary election. When asked if Harris should be more transparent and public, McClellan responded, “She is doing that. Everyone that voted for Joe Biden in that primary understands that Vice President Harris was part of the team and that if anything happened, would succeed him.”

St. George also asked if Harris’s record is too liberal to win a general election. McClellan highlighted Harris’s past support for policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal but shifted focus to the Trump administration.

“I’m ready to talk about records, but the records that matter most is the Trump administration,” she said, expressing concern about Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, as the “most far-right ticket in American history.”

Regarding Black voter support for Trump, McClellan acknowledged his earlier advances but noted a change. “I have seen polling since Vice President Harris has become the presumptive nominee, there is a surge among Black voters,” she said.

McClellan also discussed potential running mates for Harris, emphasizing the need for a strong partner who brings a different perspective. She highlighted the organizing power of sororities in elections for Black women, mentioning that she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta while Vice President Harris is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

“The power of the Divine Nine is organizing,” McClellan said. “We are going to be a big part of why she becomes president.”

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