A post-election revelation exposes internal struggles within Kamala Harris's failed presidential campaign, where Black staffers faced alleged mistreatment and discrimination.
According to Fox News, Black campaign staffers have come forward with serious allegations of mistreatment and racial discrimination, claiming campaign leadership dismissed concerns about taking their base for granted in crucial battleground states like Philadelphia.
The allegations surfaced during a post-election career opportunities call with political strategist Angela Rye, where the discussion shifted to staff grievances about campaign treatment and inadequate field operations.
These claims were corroborated by more than 30 staffers who shared their experiences with The New York Times, highlighting systemic issues within the campaign structure.
Campaign offices targeting predominantly Black communities faced significant challenges that hindered effective voter outreach. Staff members reported working in filthy offices lacking basic supplies such as tables, chairs, cleaning products, and printers. Some offices were inexplicably relocated to upscale areas, disconnecting them from the communities they were meant to serve.
An internal survey commissioned by the Harris campaign revealed widespread frustration among Black staff members, who reported their ideas were consistently ignored at higher rates compared to their colleagues. The survey results, which indicated instances of racial discrimination, were brought to campaign leadership's attention but appeared to yield little change.
Campaign staff members were reportedly discouraged from speaking to the media about these issues. Lauren Hitt, Harris campaign spokeswoman, addressed allegations about threats to staffers' careers, claiming that campaign deputy manager Quentin Fulks had merely advised against making anger-driven statements that could harm both staff members and the vice president.
The campaign's approach to voter outreach in key battleground states faced severe criticism from both staff and external organizations. Quentin James, founder of the Collective PAC, revealed that staff members in Philadelphia, Detroit, and North Carolina desperately sought assistance in the final weeks of the campaign, lacking funds for basic volunteer support such as food and water.
Campaign leadership's assessment of their performance in Philadelphia particularly drew criticism. Campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon's election night email claimed the campaign had exceeded turnout expectations in areas with nonwhite voters. However, the numbers told a different story, with Harris receiving 30,000 fewer votes in Philadelphia compared to President Biden's 2020 performance.
The campaign's struggles extended beyond resource allocation. Some Democratic operatives, including senior adviser Kellan White, argued that the primary issue wasn't just about voter outreach efforts but rather message resonance.
As White explained:
This campaign did more in Philadelphia to reach Black and Latino voters than any campaign has done in a long time. The issue is not that we didn't knock on these doors — we knocked on a ton of doors. The problem was that the message itself didn't connect — and that's what we as a party need to spend our time and energy on, trying to understand why when we knocked these doors, what we had to say didn't resonate with enough voters.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign faced significant internal challenges that contributed to its ultimate defeat in the 2024 election. Black staffers alleged racial discrimination, resource mismanagement, and leadership's dismissal of concerns about voter outreach in diverse communities, particularly in crucial battleground states like Philadelphia.
The campaign's shortcomings became evident through post-election revelations, including inadequate field operations, unsupported staff, and disconnected messaging that failed to resonate with key demographic groups. These issues resulted in lower voter turnout in critical areas and contributed to Trump's victory in battleground states like Pennsylvania, ultimately leading to Harris's electoral defeat.
