WASHINGTON (AP) — There could be only microscopic margins in this year’s presidential election, which is why Kamala Harris is looking for votes in even the most unlikely places. One of their latest targets is Donald Trump’s demographic base – white people who didn’t go to college.
“It’s difficult terrain,” said Dan Kanninen, the Harris campaign’s battleground states director. “But when you perform, you get the votes you need to win.”
Kanninen and other members of the Democratic vice presidential team point to what they say are positive signals in public polls that suggest Harris may be making miniature strides. Such shifts are hard to measure, especially in polls where subgroups of voters can have vast margins of error.
But any possible erosion could be significant, since white voters without college degrees make up a significant share of the electorate. About 4 in 10 voters fell into this category in 2020, according to AP VoteCast.
That’s why the Harris campaign has run ads on DraftKings, a sports betting site, calling Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the “strongest lineup.” Another version on Yahoo Sports includes “stats” such as tax cuts for the middle class and $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.
An ad on the video game website IGN presents Harris like a character in a role-playing game saga. Her Charisma and Intelligence ratings are high, but Deception and Collateral Damage are low. “Elect this president,” they say.
Additional commercials highlighting Harris’ promise to be a president for all Americans were run during football games and on sports talk radio. Walz is a former high school football coach, so he also makes the rounds at sporting events.
Outside the airwaves, Harris relies heavily on unions to persuade their members and communities. And she speaks frequently about economic concerns like price gouging, which she hopes will appeal to working-class voters.
“People want someone who is on their side,” Kanninen said.
Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, doubted Harris would make headway with white, working-class voters. If anything, he said, their strategy more closely reflected their luxurious finances.
“When you’re flush with money, as the Harris campaign appears to be, you strive for anything even remotely possible,” he said.
Of course, Ayres said, “in a dead heat, every voter you can pressure anywhere could be important.”
Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, dismissed Harris’ efforts.
“Kamala Harris is on defense because she is losing ground with long-time Democratic voters like black men,” Kelly said.
Kanninen said the Harris campaign remained undeterred.
“There were difficult conversations at times,” he said. “But difficult conversations can produce results, and in a very close race, those results can be crucial.”
