SAVANNAH ― Democrats in this coastal Georgia city took special note of the scene during the roll call at the Democratic National Convention.
As U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, who chairs the state party, awarded the state’s delegates to Vice President Kamala Harris, she did so with two Savannahians by her side.
Immediately to her right stood U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a native Savannahian whose family still lives in the city. Next to Warnock was Mayor Van Johnson, who’s served more than two decades in city government and whose statewide profile has swelled since he became mayor in 2020.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
For local Democrats, the moment was another sign of Savannah’s growing influence in state elections. Another comes this week, when Harris hosts a presidential campaign rally at a yet-to-be-named venue. The visit is the first in recent times by a major party presidential nominee. Harris had planned a visit to the city for earlier this month but postponed it due to Tropical Storm Debby.
The rescheduled rally caps Harris’ two-day swing through Republican-leaning east and South Georgia. The tour is her chance to court disengaged Democratic voters, as well as moderates and independents unwilling to vote for her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.
One of the biggest opportunities is in Savannah and Chatham County. In the 2020 presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden received 19,249 more votes than the party’s 2016 nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“We are the opportunity for them; everywhere else is a solid red,” Johnson said. “We believe that Georgia is in play, and we believe the road to the White House goes through Georgia. The lane to the White House goes through Savannah.”
Unlike other battleground states, where polls have swung in Harris’ favor since she replaced Biden atop the ticket in July, Harris remains an underdog in Georgia. A New York Times/Siena College survey released last week showed Harris trailing Trump, albeit within the poll’s margin of error.
Turning out Democratic voters is a must for the Harris campaign. In Savannah, the 2020 surge was fueled by get-out-the-vote efforts led by the state party, high-profile Democrat Stacey Abrams and voting-rights organization Fair Fight. Canvassing started before the Democratic primary and built momentum through the summer and into the fall.
Savannahians haven’t seen the same energy this election cycle, a fact singled out by Democrats earlier this summer. However, enthusiasm has grown since Biden suspended his campaign and endorsed Harris, and the passion went to new levels following the Democratic National Convention.
“It’s about being visible and opening our mouths, spreading the message,” said Tabatha Strozier, a Savannah Democrat and massage therapist who co-owns a wellness spa. “Voters are listening again now.”
Harris already has a connection with Savannah Democrats. She visited the city as the vice president-elect in early 2021 to rally for Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff ahead of a U.S. Senate runoff. Warnock and Ossoff upset Republican incumbents a few days later.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Earlier this year, Savannah was one of the first stops in Harris’ “Reproductive Freedoms” tour, a multicity nationwide swing meant to appeal to abortion rights supporters. She packed a ballroom at the Savannah Civic Center for the invitation-only event.
Chatham Democratic Party Chair Aaron “Adot” Whitely said Harris’ pending return for Thursday’s rally speaks to the value the campaign has placed on their relationship with local voters.
“When folks can put eyes on a candidate, as opposed to seeing them on the news, it’s a different feeling — and doing that twice in a year means a whole lot,” said Whitely, who sits on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. “We have people coming out of the woodwork to show their support.”
Another prominent Savannah Democrat, state Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook, is eager to hear Harris’ message during the Savannah rally. Westbrook said she appreciates Harris’ focus on contrasting her campaign versus Trump’s, and Westbrook said the rally could have a “broad reach” with anti-Trump Republicans and moderates.
“Trump is hard to run against because he’s a propagandist, and the aggressive approach doesn’t always land,” she said. “She’s aggressive yet funny and creative at the same time, and it’s a fresh look.”
Ryan Purvis with the Savannah Young Republicans club said Democrats are trying to portray the early enthusiasm for Harris as similar to the energy seen during former President Barack Obama’s first election campaign in 2008.
Harris has peaked — and peaked too early, he said.
“While she’s here, I encourage her to spend some money at some of our great local businesses so at least some of the impact of the Biden-Harris policies that have led to record-high inflation can be subsidized,” he said.
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