Democrats ramp up virtual campaign with NC ‘visits’ from Kamala Harris, Jill Biden
As President Donald Trump plans for another in-person campaign visit to North Carolina, the Joe Biden campaign is sending two of his top surrogates to the state on virtual visits this week.
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will participate in a virtual get-out-the-vote rally with the Congressional Black Caucus PAC in North Carolina on Friday night. U.S. Reps. Alma Adams and G.K. Butterfield, North Carolina Democrats, also participate in “Turn Up and Turn Out the Vote Virtual Bus Tour.” People can register to attend at mobilize.us/joebiden.
Jill Biden, Biden’s wife, participated in a working families virtual roundtable with North Carolina state Sen. Jay Chaudhuri and several working parents from the Raleigh area Thursday afternoon.
“You know parents, educators, students, no one wants to get our students back to school more than we do. But we know we have to do it safely,” said Biden, who teaches English at a community college in Virginia. “And as a mom and a nana, I know that parents will do absolutely anything to give their children the future they deserve. We organize, we advocate, we get things done.”
The event took place just before North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s Thursday announcement that the state’s elementary schools could reopen with full-time, in-person instruction.
The working parents, most of whom are involved in Democratic politics, spoke about the mental health challenges for their children and themselves and their worries about what the coronavirus pandemic and remote learning were doing to their children.
“What worries me is their mental state. I like to think that they’re still at this age where they can pivot and adjust to what comes to them,” said Raleigh’s John Verdejo, who has two sons, ages 5 and 4. “I don’t know what impact this is going to have on them.”
Biden used the event to advocate for her husband’s plans.
“When Joe says he wants to ‘Build Back Better,’ education is one of those areas. And I just love Joe’s education plan,” Jill Biden said. “It’s all about leadership. That’s what its going to take. And I really feel that Joe is that leader.”
Jill Biden previously hosted a virtual event with Guilford County educators and parents.
The Biden campaign has done limited in-person events due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cooper’s current executive order limits indoor events to 25 people and outdoor gatherings to 50 people, but it does not apply to political events which are covered under the First Amendment.
On Sept. 1, Joe Biden told ABC-11 that he planned to visit North Carolina “in the not too distant future” but said he wanted to “abide by the state rules .... in terms of number of people that can be assembled.”
Trump will make another visit to North Carolina on Saturday when he campaigns at the Fayetteville Regional Airport at 6 p.m. People can register for up to two tickets at events.donaldjtrump.com. Doors open at 3 p.m.
Trump has made in-person visits this month to Winston-Salem and Wilmington.
Vice President Mike Pence made two appearances in Wake County recently, and the state has been a frequent stop for other campaign surrogates, including Trump’s adult children.
Trump and Pence carried the state and its 15 electoral votes in their 2016 electoral college victory. It is something of a must-win state for Trump in 2020. Polling indicates the state is a virtual tie at this point.
Both campaigns are spending heavily on television advertising in North Carolina with the Biden campaign having spent nearly $39 million in the state and the Trump campaign having spent more than $33 million.
The Biden campaign is currently running advertisements in North Carolina, including ads focused on economic recovery, a Trump 2016 voter who is switching to Biden, and health care. North Carolina is one of 10 states that the Biden campaign is advertising in.
The Trump campaign has been critical of Biden’s lack of appearances in the state.
“Running for President isn’t something you can accomplish with a handful of Zoom calls and pre-packaged ads,” said Gates McGavick, the campaign’s North Carolina press secretary.
Absentee-by-mail voting is already underway in North Carolina. More than 837,000 absentee-by-mail ballot requests had been made as of Tuesday, and more than 81,000 absentee-by-mail ballots have already been cast. More than 55% of those have come from registered Democrats, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
