Report: Kamala Harris to Play Major Part in Midterms for Democrats

Vice President Kamala Harris will reportedly play a significant role in the midterms, as President Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to fall.

The Hill reported that Democrats “expect” to see the vice president “revving up the party’s liberal base ahead of next year’s midterm elections” in the Democrats’ fundraising and campaign rallies.

Biden’s poll numbers were released at the beginning of the month from the Economist/YouGov poll, showed the president at the lowest point in his presidency, 39 percent. In addition, another poll from CIVIQS showed his rolling job approval average is underwater in 38 states, and a Fox News poll revealed that only 49 percent of registered voters think President Joe Biden has enough “mental soundness” to serve as president.

Democrats would like to see Harris try to turn out young voters and women, which can both be critical for the Democrats’ hopes to maintain their wafer-thin majority in the House and Senate. Despite the historic trends that have been widely reported as the Republicans’ chance to retake the House and be in a solid position for the Senate during the midterms of a Democrat president.

The Democrat National Committee (DNC) has already announced their first high dollar in-person fundraiser with Harris and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison to try and rake in cash, Politico reported.

A Democratic pollster who advised Biden’s campaign, Celinda Lake, told the Hill that Harris could be prevalent in turn out people to vote:

She is very popular with the base. She is particularly strong with women and with young people. Turn out for young people is going to be critical for the midterms and it is uncertain. … Between turnout and swing independent women, I would think she would be quite aggressive because of her own appeal and popularity.

A White House official told the Hill that are still no specific events but anticipated “heavy” travel next year for Harris and Biden. It also pointed out that both the president and vice president heavily traveled in the 2018 midterms before becoming president and vice president. 

“In the same way they did during the general election, they’re a really nice one-two punch who can cover every district between the two of them with a lot of nice overlap in key [districts],” Eddie Vale, a Democrat strategist, said to the Hill.

DNC spokeswoman Adonna Biel told the Hill that Harris was a crucial part in 2020, and they believe she would in the midterms, as well:

Vice President Harris is a trailblazer and having her alongside President Biden at the top of the ticket in 2020 was critical to flipping the White House and Senate and maintaining control of the House. … She is an invaluable asset to the DNC, and as we head into 2022, Vice President Harris will play a key role as the DNC continues to fight to expand our majority and defeat the disastrous Trumpian agenda Republicans are pushing.

Harris will undoubtedly try to use the midterms to boost her national profile.

Follow Jacob Bliss on Twitter @jacobmbliss.