Senate Dems target Black voters with new ad as Harris’ support falls short
The Senate Democrat campaign arm announced a new effort to reach Black voters on Wednesday as Vice President Kamala Harris, who leads the ticket, is struggling to match President Biden's margin with the demographic.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is advertising in local Black media outlets across seven states with pivotal Senate races, including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Maryland, Texas and Florida.
The ads will focus on emphasizing the importance of participating in the upcoming elections, as fears of declining enthusiasm among Black voters are returning.
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"Our vote. Our power. Make your voice heard, make your plan to vote. IWillVote.com," the ad said.
It is running, starting on Wednesday, in publications such as the Florida Star, the Baltimore Times/Annapolis Times, the Michigan Chronicle, the Call & Post in Ohio, the West Philly Journal, Houston Style Magazine, Dallas Weekly and the Milwaukee Community Journal.
"Black voters have the power to shape the outcome of the 2024 election and will play a critical role in defending Democrats’ Senate majority that is fighting for the values, priorities and issues that matter most for Black Americans. This campaign will build on Senate Democrats’ efforts to meet Black voters wherever they are and ensure that every voter has the information they need to make their plan to vote and make their voice heard in the 2024 Senate election," DSCC Deputy Executive Director Jessica Knight Henry said in a statement.
The Democrats' effort to shore up Black voter turnout and support in crucial Senate races comes as recent polling indicates former President Donald Trump is making gains with Black men, who are traditionally some of the Democratic Party's most reliable supporters.
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It also comes as Harris' campaign faces a disparity between Biden's 2020 vote share of the demographic and hers.
In a recent poll, 76% of Black voters said they would support Harris if the election were held that day, per the New York Times and Siena College. While over three-quarters of the group indicated they would back Harris, the number was shy of the 90% of Black voters who chose Biden in 2020, when the president defeated then-President Trump.
Amid this concern, Harris' campaign unveiled this week its "Opportunity Agenda for Black Men."
Her plan includes fully forgivable loans for Black entrepreneurs, a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and legalizing recreational marijuana, among other measures.
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"Kamala Harris and Senate Democrats are struggling with Black voters because Black voters don’t like paying insanely high prices at the grocery store, mass illegal immigration, and having their taxpayer funds used to pay for gender transition surgery for murderers," National Republican Senate Committee Communications Director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Top Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., recently admitted his concern about Black voters supporting Republicans, saying on CNN's "State of the Union," "I am concerned about Black men staying home or voting for Trump."
Former President Barack Obama also expressed worry in Pennsylvania, telling people at a pre-campaign stop, "I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that."
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Harris answered questions about her support with Black men in a recent interview, explaining, "One, that's not my experience," and, "Two, Election Day has not arrived yet."
"Black men are no different from anybody else," she said on the Black-focused entertainment show "The Shade Room."
"They expect that you have to earn their vote. And that's why I'm out here."
Harris also did an audio town hall this week on iHeartRadio with "Breakfast Club" radio show co-host Charlamagne Tha God, who is particularly popular with Black listeners.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.