VP Harris is leading the campaign to appeal to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community, the fastest-growing electorate
AS the 2024 presidential election looms closer, the campaign to re-elect President Joe Biden is ramping up voter outreach efforts to the broad Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) voting bloc.
On Tuesday, July 9, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced AANHPI for Biden-Harris, a formal effort to boost support for the Biden-Harris re-election.
According to a press release, the coalition will provide voters with “culturally competent and linguistically appropriate” materials to help AANHPI voters stay informed on the most crucial issues for AANHPI communities—such as health care, immigration, public safety, and others.
The team kicked off the coalition on Tuesday in Las Vegas and will visit Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia in the coming weeks. On Saturday, July 13, Harris will deliver an address at an AANHPI town hall in Philadelphia.
Later this month, the Biden-Harris campaign will also establish “affinity groups” like Filipino Americans for Biden-Harris to further drum up support, according to AANHPI for Biden-Trump.
Harris—who is Indian American and the first Asian person to serve as vice president—is at the fore of the outreach program.
“[W]e need to make sure that AA and NHPI are heard at the ballot boxes around our country, just as we need to make sure that those voices are represented in all levels of government. Asian Americans must be in the rooms where the decisions are being made,” Harris said in a launch video released on Tuesday.
AANHPI for Biden-Harris is the latest effort from Biden’s team to appeal to key voting blocs. Previously, they launched similar campaigns that focus on Black voters as well as Hispanic/Latino voters.
The Biden campaign’s latest efforts to amp up support follow a disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump in June—and recent polls showcase Biden trailing Trump.
Biden’s age and well-being have also been a cause for concern for voters. A Democratic pollster reported on Tuesday that of those who watched the first presidential debate, 61% think that Biden does not have the “mental capacity and physical stamina” to serve a second term. n
