Harris campaign reports record-breaking volunteer surge in key swing states
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Vice President Kamala Harris greets staff at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 22, 2024. Photo: Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
In the days since Vice President Kamala Harris launched her presidential bid, more than 170,000 volunteers have joined her cause, her campaign says.
Why it matters: The numbers are yet another example of the momentum Harris has harnessed in the week since President Biden's historic withdrawal from the race.
- The campaign has seen record-breaking fundraising and early polling bumps — a "honeymoon" phase that former President Trump's campaign is hoping will soon end.
- The enthusiasm has also stretched down ballot, as new donations and volunteers flock to Democratic congressional campaigns, the AP reports.
The latest: The Harris campaign announced on Thursday that its "army of volunteers" would be put to work in a "Weekend of Action" by knocking doors, calling voters and participating in training.
By the numbers: Florida has seen the largest volunteer totals of any battleground state with more than 7,000 as of Thursday, state director Jasmine Burney-Clark told Axios Tampa Bay in a statement. Palm Beach County, for example, set a single-day sign up record for the cycle this week.
- Elsewhere, the campaign had by Wednesday recruited about 5,700 volunteers in Pennsylvania, 4,300 in Georgia, 4,000 in North Carolina and 3,300 in Michigan, she added.
In Nevada on Sunday — the day Biden exited the race — the campaign reported recruiting four times more volunteers than usual, per the Nevada Independent.
- In Georgia on Monday, the campaign saw its highest volunteer recruiting day so far this year, the AJC reported.
- Minnesota's state Democratic party said it was inundated with volunteer requests the day after Harris launched her campaign, and that Tuesday's total set a new record. A similar story emerged in Michigan in the days after Biden withdrew.
- A spokesperson for the Harris campaign in Wisconsin confirmed to WPR that they've seen a "surge of grassroots enthusiasm" this week as well.
Zoom in: The excitement has also spread to Pennsylvania, another key swing state, the campaign says.
- "We're seeing people coming to our offices after the announcement to find out how they can volunteer," Harris campaign advisor Kellan White told WHYY.
- "We have people cold-calling people they know in politics asking how they can volunteer. We feel the energy."
- In Oregon, the Deschutes County Democrats saw five new volunteers offering their help within 30 minutes of the news breaking, a local Democratic operative told OPB.
Go deeper: Why Trump's team was caught off guard by Biden-Harris switch
