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Harris, Cheney work to sway undecided voters, GOP women in 3 battleground states

Harris, Cheney work to sway undecided voters, GOP women in 3 battleground states

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MALVERN, Pa. — Vice President Kamala Harris held a series of moderated conversations with former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney in suburban cities in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin on Monday during which Cheney worked to assuage concerns that Republicans may have about voting for the Democratic candidate.

“If you’re at all concerned, you can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody, and there will be millions of Republicans who do that on Nov. 5, vote for Vice President Harris,” Cheney said to Republicans at the Michigan event.

Cheney and Harris also worked to draw contrast between the vice president and former President Donald Trump, someone they described as a threat, “unstable” and untrustworthy.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris holds a moderated conversation with Former Rep. Liz Cheney at People’s Light performing arts theater Malvern, Pa., Oct. 21, 2024.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

With two weeks until Election Day, the effort was part of the Harris campaign’s effort to reach swing voters in the crucial battleground states. Harris spoke with Cheney in the suburban areas of Chester County, Pennsylvania; Oakland County, Michigan; and Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

The events — aimed to appeal to white suburban women who vote Republican — happened the day before in-person voting began in Wisconsin. The conversations were moderated by Bulwark publisher and longtime Republican strategist Sarah Longwell and conservative radio host and writer Charlie Sykes.

Both Harris and former President Donald Trump had events scheduled for battleground states this week as they worked to win over voters in what’s expected to be a close contest. On Monday, Trump spent time in in the battleground state of North Carolina.

While in Pennsylvania, Harris and Cheney worked to pick off Republicans disaffected with their party’s nominee who may vote for the vice president and focus on the dangers Trump poses to the country and to democracy.

Moderator Maria Shriver, from left, speaks during a town hall with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak, Mich.,Oct. 21, 2024.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

“There are months in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide when we stand for those things that we talk about, including, in particular, country over party,” Harris said.

Cheney, a staunch Trump critic who endorsed Harris in September despite their party and policy differences, said “every single thing in my experience and in my background has played a part” in her supporting Harris.

“In this race, we have the opportunity to vote for and support somebody you can count on. We’re not always going to agree, but I know Vice President Harris will always do what she believes is right for this country. She has a sincere heart, and that’s why I’m honored to be in this place.”

At the Michigan event, Cheney said that she understood why some Republicans would find it difficult to publicly support Harris.

“I certainly have many Republicans who will say to me, ‘I can’t be public.’ They do worry about a whole range of things, including violence. But, but they’ll do the right thing,” she said.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former US Representative Liz Cheney (R) arrive for a campaign event at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, October 3, 2024.

Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

At the final leg in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harris continued to draw a contrast between herself and former President Trump.

“Do we want a president of the United States who spends his full time plotting revenge while they sit in the Oval Office, or a president who is actually focused on the American people?” she asked.

Cheney continued to slam Trump and said he can’t be trusted.

“I think that the bottom line on this, as on some of the other issues, is, you know, you just can’t count on him. You cannot trust him. We’ve seen the man that he is. We’ve seen the cruelty and America deserves much better.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a conversation moderated by Charlie Sykes with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in Brookfield, Wis., Oct. 21, 2024.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Cheney voted to impeach Trump following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and was vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. She received backlash from Trump and other Republicans for her criticism of the former president and was censured by the Republican National Committee.

Since her endorsement of Harris, Cheney has campaigned for the vice president — including in battleground Wisconsin, where she called Trump petty, vindictive and cruel.

Cheney is among a handful of prominent Republicans, including her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who have pledged to support Harris’ bid.

The number of actual votes these events could move, with just two weeks to go, is small — yet could be significant in states expected to be decided by slim margins, Joe Zepecki, a Milwaukee-based Democratic strategist, told ABC News.

Ideally, Zepecki said, the events would bring over “Republicans available to Harris who might need one last reminder, one last push in that direction.”

George Levy, a 66-year-old voter from Delaware County, outside Philadelphia, said he was an independent until Trump entered the political arena in 2015.

“I’m never going back. I’ll be a Democrat from now on,” he told ABC News as he waited in line to enter the intimate theater in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb that was the site of the first Cheney discussion of the day.

Liz Cheney poses for pictures with an attendee during a campaign event for US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, October 3, 2024.

Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

“[Cheney] did the right thing for our country, and I’m proud of her for doing that,” he said. “I know she doesn’t agree with many Democratic policies, but she believes in our country and loves our country, and I appreciate her speaking out.”

In a social media post on Monday, Trump attacked Harris for campaigning with Cheney, claiming that the former Wyoming Republican congresswoman is going to lead the United States to go to war with “every Muslim Country known to mankind” like her father and former Vice President Dick Cheney “pushed” former President Georgia W. Bush to the war in the Middle East.

Harris’ events this week will feature more interactivity where voters see the vice president taking questions — including during her town hall with CNN on Wednesday in Pennsylvania.

ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.


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First day of early voting brings in 5,000+ Brazos County voters

First day of early voting brings in 5,000+ Brazos County voters

by with No Comment Uncategorized

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Monday was the first day of early voting in Texas, and 5,144 people have already cast their vote in Brazos county for the current election.

Trudy Hancock, elections administrator for Brazos County, told KBTX this election is already bucking trends.

“We have hit the ground running today,” Hancock boasted. “We usually run 50/50. 50% early and 50% election day. I have a feeling this time, a lot of people are going to vote early.”

Thousands of people have already cast their vote in the Brazos Valley on day one of early voting.(kbtx)

As far as first-day jitters, Hancock said it was a smooth day of voting.

“We’ve had a few little technical issues like ballot paper getting jammed and things like that, but nothing to halt voting,” explained Hancock.

Bryan native Jeremy Zamora said he was eager to cast his vote.

“I think it’s important, as an American citizen, to do your due diligence as your right to vote and have your voice be heard,” Zamora shared.

Hancock said it was a large turnout today, and areas like Robertson County are experiencing the same influx of voters with the same amount of foot traffic in a day as it would in a week.

“Just remember, once you’re in that line, you’re within that 100-foot marker, so there is no electioneering. No shirts, buttons, hats for candidates; just be sure that you’re mindful of that,” advised Hancock.

A total of 5,144 people in Brazos county cast their ballot on day one of early voting.
A total of 5,144 people in Brazos county cast their ballot on day one of early voting.(kbtx)

Although lines were a little long on day one, Zamora said election workers quickly and efficiently kept voters moving.

“Do your due diligence of who you want in the office and running the country,” Zamora added.

For those not voting in person but nervous about their ballots being received due to post office issues, Hancock has a pro tip.

“If you’re worried about the post office, your ballot having to go out of town and then come back, you can go to the post office on Boonville and walk your ballot in. They will hand stamp it and put it in a box, and they deliver them to us daily,” suggested Hancock.

A mail-in ballot must be postmarked no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5 and received by 5 p.m. the following day. That may be a tight turnaround, so Hancock advises all to send out your ballot as early as possible.

Find more information on local election information with KBTX’s Election Headquarters. Early voting runs through November 1.

Copyright 2024 KBTX. All rights reserved.


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Harris is pressed by Charlamagne tha God on the concerns of Black voters : NPR

Harris is pressed by Charlamagne tha God on the concerns of Black voters : NPR

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Vice President Harris prepares to speak with Charlamagne Tha God before “We The People: An Audio Townhall With Kamala Harris and Charlamagne Tha God” in Detroit on Tuesday.

Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for iHeartMedia


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Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

DETROIT — Vice President Harris tried to address criticism that Democrats too often take Black voters for granted during a town hall on Tuesday with the influential radio host Charlamagne tha God.

Harris defended her track record as a prosecutor, promoted her policies aimed at Black voters and said former President Donald Trump was a threat to democracy.

Vice President Harris campaigns in Raleigh, N.C., on Oct. 12 — part of a push to try to shore up her support among Black men.

When Charlamagne suggested that Trump’s vision for the country should be called fascism, adding “Why can’t we just say it?” Harris replied: “Yeah, we can say that.”

Harris’ remarks came at a crucial moment in the campaign, as polls show her struggling to cement the level of support she may need from Black men to win the White House. At the same time, Trump has appeared to make inroads among Black voters, worrying Democrats in a historically-close election.

Former President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event for Vice President Harris in Pittsburgh on Thursday. Prior to the rally, Obama made a special plea to Black men who have been hesitant to support Harris.

That concern was underscored in remarks by former President Barack Obama in Pittsburgh last week. He said the lack of enthusiasm for Harris “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers,” which he attributed to a reluctance to vote for a woman.

When a caller asked Harris why Democrats were “waving the finger at Black men” even as Trump is gaining support among other demographic groups, Harris sidestepped the question, saying, “I think what what is happening is that we are all working on reminding people what is at stake, and that is very important.”

Harris took on mis- and disinformation about her record

Harris defended criticism that she is too scripted as being disciplined, and sought to reclaim the narrative about her record, saying her work on behalf of the Black community has been warped by her political rivals.

Vice President Harris boards Air Force Two at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Sept. 30, 2024.

“One of the biggest challenges that I face is mis- and disinformation,” Harris said. “It is meant to convince people that they somehow should not believe that the work that I have done has occurred, and has meaning.”

“Part of the challenge that I face is that they are trying to scare people away, because they know they otherwise have nothing to run on,” Harris said. “Ask Donald Trump what his plan is for Black America. Ask him.”

Harris plugged her plans to provide forgiveable loans to entrepreneurs, tax breaks for small business start-ups, down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers, Medicare benefits for home care, and tax credits for low- and middle-income families as measures that would help Black Americans.

Harris was asked about her record as a prosecutor and criticism from her opponents that during her time as district attorney of San Francisco she targeted thousands of Black men for prosecution.

Cherita Evans aka Storm the Barber, with Christian Pounds in her chair at Head Changerz Barber Lounge in Rocky Mount, N.C. on May 23, 2024.

Harris called those claims “simply not true,” saying she was “the most progressive prosecutor in California on marijuana cases.” Harris said she did not send people to jail for simple possession of marijuana, and vowed that as president she would work on decriminalizing marijuana altogether.

Harris also took on criticism from Trump for a lack of engagement with the Black church. She responded by speaking about growing up in the Black church and attending the 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, Calif.

“I know where our church, and my church is about saying true leadership, the measure of that is based on who you lift up,” Harris said. “And then he’s selling $60 Bibles or tennis shoes and trying to play people, as though that makes him more understanding of the Black community. Come on.”


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Colin Allred urges voters to back Kamala Harris at DNC

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CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, urged Democrats to elect Vice President Kamala Harris during the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, giving his most explicit support for the candidate since she took over the Democratic ticket.

“I’m so proud to be here to support our next president, Kamala Harris,” Allred said in brief remarks from the main stage.

Allred, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, this year in one of the Senate Democrats’ top flip targets this year, has so far run his race largely independently of Democrats outside the state, focusing on Texas issues rather than yoking his candidacy to the presidential ticket. During an address to the Texas delegation on Thursday morning, Allred leaned heavily into attacking Cruz without mentioning Harris.

Allred’s remarks Thursday night were brief relative to other convention speakers, and his endorsement remained relatively muted. He focused most of his 3-minute address on beating Cruz and former President Donald Trump, whom he derided as “me-guys.”


“You know, the type to talk a big game, only care about themselves, but you don’t want to get stuck with them at a barbecue,” Allred said. “We’ve got a message for the me-guys. ‘We’ is more powerful than ‘me’.”

“We will restore reproductive freedom. We will secure the border. We will protect Medicare and Social Security,” Allred continued. “And we will turn the page and write a new chapter for this country and elect Kamala Harris to be the next president and beat Ted Cruz.”

Allred garnered sustained chants of “Beat Ted Cruz,” a senator who himself says he is the most reviled Republican among Democrats behind Trump.

After Allred spoke, a Cruz spokesperson said, “Can’t comment Colin showed Texas tonight who he really is” and added, “Colin Allred is a far left radical who wants open borders, boys in girls bathrooms, and our police defunded.”

Allred shared the stage with other House Democrats in competitive Senate races, including Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin and Arizona’s Ruben Gallego. Michigan and Arizona are both considered more competitive than Texas. He spoke shortly before Harris was set to take the stage to close out the convention.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, chaired the convention on Thursday. Kim Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, was included in a group conversation with others impacted by gun violence. Mata-Rubio ran unsuccessfully for Uvalde mayor last year.

Harris’s campaign has proven to be something of a double-edged sword for Allred. On the one hand, her historic candidacy appears to be boosting Democratic enthusiasm that could help down-ballot candidates like him. But he’s also been reluctant to show too much enthusiasm for the Democrat, as he tries to court independent voters in a red state.

As a result, he’s kept her at an arm’s length. He did not join her for any of her half dozen appearances in Texas in July. And his initial endorsement of her was murky. He has not officially posted a campaign statement endorsing her, but his campaign has told reporters that he is backing the vice president.

“I want to both run for this office the way I plan on serving in it, which is that I’m focused on Texas,” Allred said in an interview Thursday morning. “We have a very singular choice, which is who’s going to serve us for the next six years. It’s going to be until 2030, past the … term of the next president.”

Allred acknowledged that voters he is trying to court may not be as supportive of Harris, who was a much more progressive lawmaker during her time in the U.S. Senate. Allred has voted against his party on recent messaging bills, including on the administration’s handling of the border.

“What I’m trying to do in this campaign is make sure that the Texas I know gets the representation that it deserves, and so yes that, of course, will mean that we’re going to try to be reaching out to folks who maybe won’t be the same targets as some other campaigns,” Allred said.

A poll released Thursday by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs showed Allred 2 points behind Cruz. It’s a closer margin than Cruz’s 2018 reelection against Beto O’Rourke, where Cruz won by just under 3 points.

The Harris campaign does not consider Texas a battleground and does not plan to invest in the state. The short runway for the campaign, which launched after President Joe Biden stepped down from the ticket last month, has forced the campaign to be laser focused on its most attainable states.

“At the end of the day, our responsibility as a presidential campaign is to ensure we get to 270 [electoral votes],” Harris campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said at a DNC event on Tuesday. “I would love to get to a bigger number than that, but that is all we care about.”

Allred wasn’t concerned Harris’ campaign wasn’t focusing more on Texas. His Senate campaign — like all Democratic statewide campaigns in Texas — largely planned its strategy without expecting an influx of resources from the top of the ticket. Texas Democrats launched last month the first coordinated campaign led by a Senate candidate in decades, bundling resources for candidates across the ballot.

“There are important things that will be happening up and down the ballot, especially at the presidential level,” Allred said during his interview. “I understand that. But for us, we have a very singular choice, which is who’s going to serve us for the next six years.”

Disclosure: University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?


    Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.

  • What’s on the ballot for the general election?


    In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.

    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
    -1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
    – 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
    – 15 State Senators
    – 7 State Board of Education members
    – 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
    – 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
    – 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals

    – Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
    – Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
    – County Courts at Law
    – Justices of the Peace
    – District Attorneys
    – County Attorneys
    – Sheriffs
    – Constables
    – Tax Assessor-Collectors

  • How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?


    You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in:
    Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
    Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
    Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • How do I register to vote if I haven’t?


    You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.

    Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.

    Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.

    After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.

    The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?


    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition has hotlines available in other languages. Disability Rights Texas also assists voters with disabilities.

  • Read more
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