Democratic operatives, predominantly of African-American descent, have reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction with Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, accusing it of favoring White-owned political firms over minority-owned ones.
This revelation was made by NOTUS, an initiative of the Allbritton Journalism Institute, which reported on a conversation between the Harris campaign and Derrick Johnson, the NAACP's President.
According to an individual privy to the discussion, as reported by Fox News, Johnson and others were irked by the campaign's projected spending on Black-owned firms, which is expected to be less than what President Biden spent in 2020. The individual, expressing their frustration, stated, "If Black voters are the base, it should be Black vendors telling the story," adding, "We still didnt really have any clear answers on anything."
A Democratic consultant also voiced concerns about the campaign's spending, stating, "Its a little concerning to see that the spending is so [much] less, so far lower. I think its approximately one-fourth less than what it was at this point four years ago." The consultant further noted, "We skated by in 2020. And were not spending at the levels we were spending at then."
NOTUS, after engaging with over a dozen vendors and staffers, discovered that the campaign seems largely indifferent towards "Black spending," despite having record-level funding and the necessity to connect with minority voters. A Democratic operative expressed their disappointment, saying, "Its not just the media, its get-out-the-vote operations and grassroots operations. Its 20 questions now when it comes to anything for Black spending. And what were talking about are a small fraction of whats being spent for the general market. Its getting pretty insulting."
Cedric Richmond, the current co-chair of the Harris campaign, however, suggested to NOTUS that the issue is more widespread within the Democratic Party, rather than being specific to the vice president. Richmond stated, "Everybody who said its not about money, thats a lie. Its all about money," adding, "Theyre making noise because they want money and they want a contract, and thats fair. Its fine, and they should just say that."
Richmond, however, underscored the importance of reaching out to minority voters, saying, "Ill answer it this way: I am trying to win a race, and I believe we have to touch voters. We have to touch Black voters and brown voters. We have to touch them with the people with the expertise to connect with them. So I have been very dogged on making sure that thats what we are trying to do."
NOTUS reported that it remains "unclear how much Harris is aware of the frustration," although she has reportedly raised the issue for both her campaign and the Biden campaign. However, it is not being "prioritized."
When Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for a comment, there was no response.
Data from the Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion revealed that a vast majority of Black voters favored Harris over former President Trump, with a ratio of 82% to 12%. However, it was found that Trumps support doubled to 16% for Black voters under 50, and rose to 21% for Black men.
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