WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign over the weekend launched a “Republicans for Harris” initiative, as her campaign looks to court moderate GOP voters and others who don’t support former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid for the White House.
The Harris team said the effort will be a “campaign within a campaign,” in which prominent Republicans will aim to attract moderates, independents and Republicans who voted for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley when she challenged Trump for the nomination. While Haley once stated she would never vote for Trump, she has since said she would.
The GOP drive will kick off on Monday with events in battleground states such as Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
National Director of Republican Outreach Austin Weatherford said in a statement that Trump’s backing of the far-right playbook Project 2025 is “toxic to the millions of Republicans who no longer believe the party of Donald Trump represents their values.”
Weatherford, former chief of staff for former GOP U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who was a vocal critic of Trump, said the Harris campaign will work to earn the support of “Republicans who care about defending democracy and restoring decency — all of which would be torn away in a second Trump presidency.”
Coalitions, endorsements
As Harris starts her surprise sprint to the November elections as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, following President Joe Biden suspending his campaign in late July, her campaign has quickly built coalitions ranging from “White Dudes for Harris” to “Young Republicans for Harris,” which is being led by Reed Howard.
She’s also been quick to rack up endorsements from unions such as the hospitality’s union UNITE HERE and the National Association of Social Workers.
The “Republicans for Harris” program will have a digital campaign that features testimonials from Republicans who are supporting Harris, and they will make their case to Republicans about voting for her.
“I was a proud Republican, but Donald Trump is unfit to lead our nation,” former New Jersey Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman said in a statement. “‘Republicans for Harris’ will be an important way for us to bring that message to the voters who will decide this election.”
In North Carolina, former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr will lead the organizing efforts of “Republicans for Harris” in the state.
“As we approach the final days of this election, there has never been a more important time for Republicans, former Republicans and unaffiliated voters who lean Republican, to come together and put country over party by working to elect Kamala Harris and stopping Donald Trump,” Orr said in a statement.
Former members of Congress
Some of those GOP endorsements include former members of Congress such as Kinzinger, Rod Chandler of Washington, Tom Coleman of Missouri, Dave Emery of Maine, Wayne Gilchrest, who was a GOP member from until 2009 of Maryland; Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania; John LeBoutillier of New York; Susan Molinari of New York; Jack Quinn of New York; Denver Riggleman of Virginia; Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island; Christopher Shays of Connecticut; Peter Smith of Vermont; Alan Steelman of Texas; David Trott of Michigan; and Joe Walsh of Illinois.
The program also includes former Trump officials such as former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye, a former national security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence.
“I might not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on everything, but I know that she will fight for our freedom, protect our democracy, and represent America with honor and dignity on the world stage,” Grisham said in a statement.
“I encourage other Trump administration officials who saw the tyrant we worked for in office to speak out and stand with Kamala Harris this November to keep integrity in the White House and ensure democracy for our country,” she continued.
Several former governors are also part of the coalition, such as Jim Edgar of Illinois; Bill Weld of Massachusetts; and former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan of Georgia.
Over the weekend, during a campaign rally, Trump attacked popular Georgia Republicans such as Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Both men are Republicans who resisted Trump’s pressure campaign to overturn the 2020 election results, but they have not given their support to Harris.
