FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2024
LISTEN: Harris Campaign Launches Native Americans for Harris-Walz
Today, Team Harris-Walz launched Native Americans for Harris-Walz alongside Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, Democratic National Committee Native American Caucus Chair Clara Pratte, and Tribal organizers from key states. Native Americans for Harris-Walz is a national organizing program to continue engaging and mobilizing within Native American communities across the nation. This national program will engage Tribal and Native American leaders, tribes, and Tribal and Native American organizations to mobilize voters and supporters across the country to:
Harness and channel enthusiasm among the Native American community for the Harris-Walz campaign.
Highlight and share messaging that resonates with Native communities on the Vice President Harris’s accomplishments for Tribal communities and draw contrast with Donald Trump’s failed record.
Meet Native and Tribal voters where they are at in culturally competent ways, including online engagement, in-person engagement, events, roundtables and listening sessions, and in-language programming.
Energize key Native American and Tribal groups and leaders as well as voices and trusted content creators on social media to bring supporters into the program.
Engage key Harris-Walz campaign principals and surrogates to activate and mobilize Native American voters through national, state, and local level programming and contrast messaging.
In the coming days and weeks, the campaign will be deploying political and organizing activity in key states for this coalition leading up to and on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and throughout election day in states such as Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Minnesota, and New Mexico. Team Harris-Walz will also partner with Native American surrogates, elected officials, and trusted community voices for canvass launches, early voting programming, and recruitment activities across key states.
Within many of our key states, including Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, where the Native vote is especially critical, the Harris-Walz campaign has already invested in Tribal outreach staff in an intentional effort to reach Native voters where they are, from individuals in-community.
Native American leaders have already mobilized in support of Vice President Harris and Governor Walz. They have led community outreach initiatives across key regions, hosted awareness events, engaged in digital and relational organizing, and led voter education and protection initiatives in key states.
With early in-person voting starting in Arizona on October 9, leaders and members will highlight the importance of engaging with and mobilizing Native American voters who will play a pivotal role in electing Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are committed to respecting and strengthening Tribal Nations, fighting back against the climate crisis, protecting Native American women and children, and ensuring everyone has the chance to not just get by, but get ahead.
In stark contrast, the Trump administration rolled back protections for Indigenous peoples and Tribal sovereignty. Trump and JD Vance’s extreme Project 2025 agenda would further harm Tribal communities and Native families, raise taxes on families by nearly $4,000, and take this country backwards.
Read highlights from the press call below:
“Vice President Harris has been a fierce advocate for Tribal sovereignty, working to secure funding for health care, education, and economic development that truly empowers our communities… And let’s not forget her running mate – who I have the privilege of knowing a thing or two about,” said Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “They are running on a clear plan to create jobs and invest in our future, fight back against the threats posed by Donald Trump’s divisive politics and harmful Project 2025. We can’t afford to go backwards with Donald Trump and JD Vance. We will continue putting in the work on ground, and we will win this election this November.”
“Whether it is in Arizona, Nevada, or Wisconsin, our team on the ground is not taking a single vote for granted, and we are going to continue to put in the work necessary to reach Native folks where they are and let them know the stakes of this critical election,” said Harris-Walz Native American Engagement Director Jade Begay. “This election is a choice between Vice President Harris who is fighting for a new way forward for our communities, and Donald Trump who is not fighting for anyone besides himself. The choice for Native Americans is clear. In 2020 we helped defeat Donald Trump once, and this November we will stand with Vice President Harris and make Donald Trump a loser once again.”
