TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — With President Joe Biden now out as the Democratic Party nominee for President, Vice-President Kamala Harris is stepping into the role.
We wanted to know what our local voters think of Kamala Harris, the candidate.
The answers varied.
"Right now, we need a stronger President in the White House. We are in the really deep hole. And she, to me, she's not strong enough to get America out from where we're at right now. So that's my opinion. I don't think she's the right fit for America," said Marynelys Avilla.
"I think she's next in line. She's earned it. She has been sitting right there on the sidelines for everything that's been going on. So I think she's up on what's happening in our politics. And so she's the next best choice," said Ruby Croak.
"A black woman as president like that would be really cool to see," DJ Jenkins said.
If democrats select Harris as the next pick for the party, how she campaigns and who she campaigns to will make all the difference.
I reached out to two experts to get their take on what VP Harris has to focus on: Talmage Boston, a presidential historian, and Janelle Irwin Taylor, the Publisher of Southeast Politics.
"In those swing states it varies. Some have more African-Americans than others, some have more Latinos than others. So definitely, who's gonna succeed in attracting minority votes," Boston said.
"I have often said that, and this is especially true in Florida. Democrats often lose elections because they are telling voters what they should care about, instead of responding to what they do care about. So the way I look at this is not a question of should they be reaching out to various different demographics. They absolutely should. And what is important to one group may not necessarily be important to another group," said Irwin Taylor. "So I think they need to really have conversations with these various demographics and find out what do you need from me as a candidate? And how can I deliver that for you."
Pew Research Studies found that 66% of eligible voters turned out last presidential election; the highest turnout since 1900.
They project the highest turnoutagain for our minority groups. Black Americans are projected to account for 14.0% of eligible voters in the U.S. in November, according to Pew Research Center projections. This November, a projected 15.0 million Asian Americans will be eligible to vote, making up just 6.1% of all eligible voters. They expect to see Latino voters increase from 13.6% in 2020 to 14.7%.
Avilla is a Latina immigrant who is a staunch Trump supporter. She cites illegal immigration as one of the reasons she's Team Trump.
"Look how many illegal people came in here, and I am an immigrant, but I did my things the right way to be here," she said. "My mind is already made. And I think we really do need somebody that is strong. And Trump would be the right fit at the moment."
Boston sees immigration as a big hurdle Harris will have to jump for voters.
"Florida, Texas. Arizona, all those states are massively impacted by this open border policy that for the most part the Biden Administration with Kamala Harris, as the so-called 'Border Czar' is responsible for," he said.
Another demographic at stake is the youth vote. In 2022, 36% of voters were under 50, a 4% drop from the previous election.
"Young voters are an important demographic for democrats, because young voters are more likely to vote for democrats," said Irwin Taylor.
Although only 17 years old, DJ Jenkins is watching.
"Obviously like minimum wage stuff, and potentially getting into the job world, student loans. How much can students take out now versus how much they can pay back later? Little stuff like that. I've never like really been a big political person, but like little stuff like that, I do listen to because obviously, it's coming up, coming down the turnpike," he said.
In the meantime, swing voters continue to be a big draw.
"Given how closely divided the U.S. is politically, these intermittent voters often determine the outcome of elections and how the balance of support for the two major political parties swings between elections," Pew Research writes.
"You hear a lot of punditry talking about the importance of the suburban white woman to both sides of the equation, whether it's Donald Trump or whoever the Democratic nominee is because that is a demographic that can really swing the election," said Irwin Taylor.
Abortion could be huge for Harris as well.
"I believe the other candidate is trying to take our democracy from us and the ability to vote for what is right. Just for our day-to-day living to be what is considered freedom," said Croak.
"Abortion is certainly an issue in in some areas that's the one area where Kamala Harris that seems to have been an effective advocate as a woman talking about abortion rights, and you can be sure that's gonna be a real focus of her campaign speeches in terms of her perceived leadership on that issue. But I think ultimately, the economy and inflation are gonna be more important," said Boston.
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