Finger-pointing and infighting have broken out between local Pennsylvania Democrat Party leaders and Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign staff over her floundering campaign in the crucial battleground state. The Harris campaign appears to have stalled out in Pennsylvania in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Harris’s opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, continues to gain ground in the Keystone State—whose 19 Electoral College votes could decide the 2024 presidential election.
One of the main points of criticism has been the disorganized and erratic communication between state leaders, surrogates, and the Harris campaign overseen by Pennsylvania campaign manager Nikki Lu. According to state Democrats, Lu lacks knowledge of Philadephia’s political dynamics, which has gravely harmed the Harris campaign down the final stretch. “I have concerns about Nikki Lu,” Ryan Boyer—a powerful black political leader in the state—recently told POLITICO. “I don’t think she understands Philadelphia.”
Reports of a campaign suffering from communications and scheduling confusion during the homestretch of an election are never a good sign. However, the Harris campaign does appear to be aware that they are potentially losing ground in Pennsylvania. After a series of meetings with black and Hispanic political leaders last month, the campaign has rushed staffing in the state—hoping to inject new blood and enthusiasm on the ground. Additionally, Harris has shifted money from Wisconsin—another state where she is neck-and-neck with Trump—to fund black-voter-focused radio ads on Philadelphia’s several hip-hop radio stations.
Still, Pennsylvania Democrats contend that Lu and senior campaign staff have gone “AWOL” with just under 20 days until the November election. Meanwhile, the campaign has scrambled—at the eleventh hour—the likes of former President Barack Obama and Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) to rally black and rural white voters, respectively.
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