What local Black women elected officials are saying about Harris' candidacy
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State Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver during the SXSW Festival in 2023. Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, a Democrat, says Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential candidacy ignited a feeling that things "are going to be okay."
Zoom in: James knows a little bit about making history, becoming the first Black woman elected to the board in more than 44 years.
Why it matters: Her opinions capture how some Democrats are feeling in the wake of Harris' historic candidacy, especially among Black and Asian American voters whose enthusiasm had been waning under President Biden, writes Axios' Ivana Saric.
- Black voters will be crucial for Democrats to keep the White House in November.
Between the lines: Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American woman to lead a major party's presidential ticket.
- While she faces an extremely tight race against former President Trump, her candidacy is giving Democrats a new chance to turn out marginalized groups' votes.
State of play: We spoke to multiple Black women elected officials in Colorado who say Harris is the most qualified candidate, noting her campaign is drawing optimism.
- State Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democrat who served as campaign co-chair for Harris in 2020, told us Harris is a mentally tough candidate who can be compassionate when needed.
- Herod said Harris was there to help her during a rough patch of her mayoral campaign last year, telling her: "When you break glass ceilings, you get cut."
- Meanwhile, James said Harris is the most qualified person to run for president since Hillary Clinton.
What they're saying: "I think as a woman of color … our qualifications are often challenged," Denver City Councilmember Shontel Lewis, a Democrat, said.
- Lewis said this can happen to women despite having multiple degrees and vast work experience, and said Harris' credentials as vice president and prosecutor have sufficiently prepared her to serve as president.
Yes, but: Lewis said the VP must "earn" her vote by focusing on solutions to the most pressing issues to her and her constituents, including education, transportation and affordable housing.
The latest: Some of Harris' fellow Democrats have criticized the VP's background as a prosecutor. But as she takes on Trump, a convicted felon, she's using her experience to illustrate their contrast.
- The local elected officials we spoke to say they're unconcerned about Harris' prosecutorial record. That includes Herod, who says the vice president backed her 2020 police accountability bill.
The intrigue: Lewis says Harris will need to balance Black voters' needs across the political spectrum, with policing being a chief concern.
- Some Black voters want better policing, while others want to abolish it, something Lewis says Harris will need to consider when making policy decisions related to law enforcement.
- "I think there's an opportunity here to figure out where that sweet spot is," Lewis tells us.