In Kamala Harris, Minnesota Democrats see chance to jolt grassroots support

The initial event of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in Minnesota centered on reaching out to Asian American voters in St. Paul, hoping to build enthusiasm among voters who might be swayed by a candidate positioned to be the first Black woman and first South Asian woman nominee for president.

“I do think there are people who haven’t been engaged before, who are calling their friends and family members” — including those who see themselves reflected in Harris’s heritage, said Shivanthi Sathanandan, the battleground state director for South Asians for Harris and a vice chair of the Minnesota DFL.

As Harris quickly ascends as the replacement for President Joe Biden to take on former President Donald Trump in November, Democrats in Minnesota and nationwide are seeing an opportunity to revive the kind of grassroots enthusiasm many feared Biden could no longer inspire. It matters not only for the presidential race but down the ballot.

Republicans have been gearing up to contest Minnesota on Trump’s behalf this year, and the former president and his running mate, JD Vance, will rally supporters Saturday night in St. Cloud. Any edge in voter enthusiasm will be vital in the event of a close contest.

“Representation matters and people get excited about that,” Sathanandan said. She is hoping Harris capitalizes on that by championing immigrant communities and working people.

Aside from the political considerations, supporters celebrated Harris’ identity as a South Asian woman at the event in St. Paul on Tuesday.

“We have an opportunity to elect the first auntie, the first Asian American president of this country,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, the first Asian American mayor of that city, who visited St. Paul to campaign for Harris.

Pureval urged a group of Asian American activists gathered on a University Avenue rooftop to believe in their political power.

“I am a Midwest Asian. I am proud to be a Midwest Asian,” he said. “We can run and win anywhere.”

The DFL said that Monday and Tuesday, the first two full days after Biden dropped out, delivered record fundraising days for the state party; some $200,000 came in since Harris announced her candidacy, the party said. More than 600 people signed up to volunteer since Harris got in, party officials said, also a record.

Communities of Black activists are also mobilizing, said Michael Minta, a University of Minnesota political science professor whose research includes race and politics. Minta noted his wife was on a fundraising call Sunday night with more than 40,000 other Black women.

“It really reminds me of 2008, of Barack Obama, where people wanted to volunteer and give money,” Minta said. “Democrats are hoping this will not only infuse money but get people active in the campaign.”

Turnout from voters of color will be key in Minnesota and across the Midwest, Minta said. Lower turnout for Hillary Clinton among non-white voters, compared to turnout for Obama, was part of the reason Trump came close to winning the state in 2016. And Minta said lower turnout, coupled with more stringent voter ID laws that blocked some from voting, is part of the reason Wisconsin broke for Trump that year.

On the flip side, Minta said, Harris also has the potential to motivate voters who do not want to see a woman of color become president.

“If it’s close like it is in 2016, you’re talking about thousands of votes” to decide the election, Minta said.

Even small blocs of votes can make a huge difference in down-ballot races, Minta noted, which will be key with control of the state House up for grabs. State senators as a whole are not on the ballot this year, but a one-seat DFL majority in the Senate depends on the race for a vacated seat in the western suburbs.

Minta said he would be watching to see if Harris can motivate suburban women who are passionate about abortion rights, something she has already signaled will be a centerpiece of her campaign.

Democratic activists were looking forward to more interest in the campaign.

“I don’t know that the strategy changes as much as the energy,” Sathanandan said. “The energy around the mobilization continues to grow.”