US presidential candidate Kamala Harris gives immigration talk in Arizona

Vice President Kamala Harris drew on her background as a prosecutor to deliver her first extensive advocacy on immigration to voters in border states as she and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, drew thousands to a campaign rally in Arizona on Friday, Aug. 9, during their swing state tour.

Harris, the former attorney general of California, reminded the crowd that as a law enforcement officer she went after transnational gangs, drug cartels and smugglers. “I’ve prosecuted them in case after case and I’ve won,” Harris told a crowd of more than 15,000 in Glendale, a Phoenix suburb. “So I know what I’m talking about.”

Harris promoted a border security bill that a bipartisan group of senators negotiated earlier this year, which Republican lawmakers ultimately voted down en masse at the behest of Republican nominee Donald Trump. “Donald Trump does not want to solve this problem,” Harris said. “Be clear about that: He has no interest or desire to actually solve the problem. He talks big about border security, but he doesn’t do it.”

‘Radical Border Agenda’

Her effort to directly address immigration — a political burden that has plagued Harris for much of her vice presidency — in the crucial state is part of a broader push by her campaign to make gains in Sun Belt states that had become increasingly out of reach with Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.

Trump and his allies, who have long criticized Biden over the influx of migrants during his term, are now shifting their attacks to Harris. Kari Lake, who is running against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego for the open Senate seat in Arizona, lashed out at Gallego in a recent ad for supporting Biden and Harris’ “radical border agenda,” with repeated clips of the vice president chuckling. “It’s very easy for us to change course and target her,” said Dave Smith, chairman of the Pima County Republican Party.

But Harris is trying to appeal to the state’s fast-growing Hispanic population and has released an ad of her own, showing how Harris, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, rose to the highest echelons of American politics.

‘Freedom’

And, as she has done at other campaign rallies, Harris brought the theme of “freedom” into her remarks at the rally, particularly when it came to voting rights, gun safety, LGBT rights and abortion access. “Arizona, our fight is a fight for the future and it’s a fight for freedom,” Harris said, walking onto the stage as Beyonce’s “Freedom” blared throughout the Desert Diamond Arena.

Arizona is represented in the U.S. Senate by Democrat Mark Kelly, who won two tough races in the politically divided state and who this week skipped Harris as his running mate.

In Arizona, every vote will matter. The state is no stranger to close races, including in 2020 when Biden defeated Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes. Both parties are bracing for a similar photo finish this year.

‘This Mamala votes for Kamala’

Harris acknowledged how tough the race will be when she and Walz visited a campaign office in North Phoenix on Friday afternoon, thanking volunteers who made signs with slogans like “This Mamala is Voting for Kamala” and “Kamala and the Coach.” (Walz was a former high school football coach.) She emphasized it at the rally, too. “As exciting as this is, we can’t lose sight of one very important fact: We are absolutely running as the underdog,” Harris said.

Democrats are confident Harris is in a solid position in the state, even without Kelly on the ticket. The senator plans to remain a strong advocate for Harris and has already been mentioned for possible Cabinet posts or other high-profile roles if the vice president enters the Oval Office. “What this comes down to is who works the hardest. That’s it,” Kelly said at the rally. “It’s that simple.”

Arizona is something of a magnet for Midwesterners looking to escape the cold. So, several observers say, Walz could still do well there. The governor himself noted as much during his opening remarks to Harris, saying, “I’m like a fucking snowman, I’m melting here.”

Gaza protesters

Arizona was reliably Republican until Trump’s combative approach to politics went national. In 2016, Trump won Arizona, then quickly fell out with the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a political icon in the state. That led to a steady exodus of educated, moderate Republicans out of the GOP and toward Democrats in top-of-the-ticket races.

In 2018, Democrats won an open Senate race in the state, a precursor to Kelly and Biden’s victories in 2020. In 2022, Kelly won again, and Democrats won the three key state races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, beating Republican candidates who adopted Trump’s style and his lies about fraud, causing him to lose the 2020 presidential election.

Chuck Coughlin, a Republican strategist and former McCain aide, said the same voters who tipped the state to Democrats in the past few cycles remain lukewarm at best on Trump. “Trump is doing nothing to embrace that segment of the electorate,” he said.

Meanwhile, there was a fresh reminder of yet another liability for Harris when she was interrupted by protesters in Gaza. Harris said she was clear that “now is the time to get a ceasefire deal” to end fighting between Israel and Hamas that has left tens of thousands dead in Gaza.

She stressed that she and Biden are “working every day, night and day, to get that ceasefire deal done and get the hostages home.” Harris added: “I respect your votes, but we’re here to talk about this race in 2024.” She responded differently earlier this week when Gaza protesters interrupted her at a rally in the Detroit area. She spoke over the protesters.