By Jennifer Gerson, Mel Leonor Barclay, Grace Panetta/Originally published by The 19th
Harris’ defeat follows a truncated and unusual campaign that left her with just over 100 days to make her case to the American people, against a rival who had long cemented his grip over the Republican Party. Harris promised Americans an end to the chaos and division she said have plagued the nation, making a pitch for an “opportunity” economy, reproductive freedom, and a robust standing military to quiet global unrest. In the final weeks of the campaign, Harris increased her appeals to voters centered on the threats that a second Trump presidency would pose, highlighting the warnings from many people who had worked with him.
At the top of the Democratic ticket, Harris made history as the first woman of color to become a major party’s presidential nominee. Harris’ campaign kicked off when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in late July, three weeks after his faltering debate against Trump heightened concerns about his age. Even as calls for Biden to step aside intensified, Harris’ nomination was far from assured and the prospect of an open convention remained on the table. That all changed quickly: Within hours of dropping out, Biden threw his support behind Harris and in short order, the party’s most powerful figures, even those with presidential ambitions, got behind her.
In less than a month, Harris had picked a running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and built a campaign apparatus that posed a formidable challenge to Trump.
A robust grassroots network sprang up around her campaign, organizing and fundraising on her behalf. The very evening of Biden’s exit and endorsement, Win With Black Women held a Zoom call, breaking all records for Zoom attendance and fundraising on the platform: 44,000 Black women joined the call, raising $1.8 million. A series of other Zoom calls sprung up in its wake, including White Women for Harris, which brought in 164,000 attendees and raised $8.5 million in 24 hours. Other groups followed suit, organizing around everything from ethnicity (like Latinas for Harris) to livelihood (Broadway for Harris).
Though her candidacy came about in a most unusual way, it has continued to tick off unprecedented firsts: first woman of color nominee of a major political party, most money raised on Zoom and, most notably, most money raised — period. The Harris campaign raised over $1 billion — a record for any campaign, ever — in its 14-week existence.
Trump’s victory weighed heavily on Democrats left to reckon with the way in which the former reality television star’s frequent attacks on immigrants, women, the media and the idea of democracy failed to break through to the electorate.
Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts and faces at least two other criminal cases, though their future is now in question. He also has been found liable of sexual assault, defamation and business fraud.
In a defining moment, Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff John Kelly said publicly that he was concerned about the possibility of a second Trump presidency, saying that the former president fits the definition of a fascist and had sought to use the military against domestic targets. Another former member of the Trump administration said Trump had praised the military generals of former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler for their tact in executing genocide. Few voters seemed moved by these remarks.
A number of prominent Republicans — including former Rep. Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney — endorsed Harris, speaking passionately of a desire to prioritize “country over party” to confront the way that Trumpian ideals had overtaken the party of Ronald Reagan. On the campaign trail, Cheney and other Republicans outreached to voters, asking them to not lose sight of the principles of conservatism and foster an awareness of the way in which Trump’s very candidacy rebuked an investment in small government and norm-keeping.
On the campaign trail, Harris made the word freedom the running theme of her candidacy: freedom to make reproductive health care decisions, freedom from gun violence, freedom to make a better life for yourself and your family.
With the word, Harris sought to boldly and unapologetically lay claim to the idea of patriotism itself, offering an alternative choice for Americans who were proud of their country but rebuked the assault on democratic norms posed by Trump’s repeat candidacy.
In her first campaign ad, titled “Freedom” and set against the Beyoncé song of the same name, Harris narrates the stakes for her candidacy: “In this election, we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in? There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate — but we choose something different. We choose freedom.”
The word became a staple in signs and banners flanking the stage at campaign events and framing discussions of policy proposals on everything from abortion to gun safety to voting rights. At the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in late August, Harris doubled and tripled down on this theme — something that progressive coalition groups quickly keyed into as well, organizing to talk about the ways in which so many of the issues of the election, from LGBTQ+ rights to IVF protections, are all connected by a common assault on individual liberty.
In the first presidential election to be held since the fall of Roe v. Wade and the end of a constitutional guarantee of abortion rights, much was made of what it felt to be a woman in America confronting the reality of a legal landscape where they held fewer rights today than they did a generation ago. Trump flip-flopped on his personal stance on abortion throughout this cycle, typically defaulting to a position that most Americans wanted to see abortion rights returned to the states, something not supported by polling. An undercurrent of outrage and fear fueled much of this cycle, as women shared stories of times their lives were in grave danger as a result of pregnancy complications whose treatment options have been limited since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center ruling in 2022.
Those close to Harris say the freedom framing was designed to appeal to moderates and independents disillusioned by Trump, as well as traditional Republicans who disagreed with Trump or were upset by the January 6, 2021, insurrection or end of federal abortion rights.
In the homestretch of the campaign, Harris appealed to voters looking to overcome the partisanship and divisiveness that have overwhelmed American politics of late. Harris called attention to the way Trump has taken to referring to his political foes as “the enemy within.” In her “closing argument” speech, she explained she would be a president for all Americans, even those who did not vote for her, and would seek out input from people who disagree, in part by appointing a Republican to her Cabinet. Harris, who said she would come into office with a “to-do list” and not an “enemies list,” has promised to build “an opportunity economy” from the earliest days of her campaign. She’s proposed expanding the child tax credit, giving more Americans a pathway to homeownership, easing the burden on family caregivers and taking on price gouging and corporate greed to lower prices.
“America, for too long, we have been consumed with too much division, chaos, and mutual distrust, and it can be easy then to forget a simple truth: It doesn’t have to be this way,” Harris said.
She fell short in building a coalition of voters who agreed, and now is added to the list of women who have tried, and failed, to become the first women president in America.
