‘There is no enthusiasm gap anymore’: Kamala Harris energizes North Carolina Democrats 

The Harris campaign has announced some 200 events across the state this weekend to maintain the momentum of a race that has seemingly reset overnight.

During a Biden campaign press conference in Raleigh a week ago, North Carolina Democrats warned of the dangers that a second Trump administration posed to reproductive rights and democracy. The tone from the presenters and from the 20 or so campaign staff in attendance was direct and serious. As the speakers talked, the air conditioner in the campaign field office could be heard whispering in the background.

But on Thursday, when Gov. Roy Cooper kicked off a similar press conference for the Harris campaign in the same building, he stood at the lectern for 30 seconds before the crowd of 80-plus stopped whooping, clapping, and cheering long enough for him to speak. 

The air conditioner never had a chance.

It’s been five days since President Joe Biden passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, but her candidacy has quickly injected high-octane enthusiasm into what had become a weary, wilted resignation among many Democrats that Biden, despite his character and record, could not beat Trump a second time. 

Harris’ ascent to the top of the ticket has reset the race seemingly overnight, and while she has galvanized Democrats nationwide, the volume seems especially loud in North Carolina, a state that Donald Trump cannot lose if he hopes to have a realistic path to victory.

“There is no enthusiasm gap anymore,” Cooper said.

The Harris campaign in North Carolina is working to make sure this new wave doesn’t recede.

This weekend, Harris’s state team will launch a “Weekend of Action,” mobilizing more than 2,500 North Carolina Democrats, volunteers, and advocates to anchor some 200 events across the state.

The campaign says it expects big crowds in the first full weekend of her campaign. More than 100,000 people signed up to volunteer for her campaign nationwide, her state team said, including more than 4,500 in North Carolina.

On a single day this week, her campaign said in an email, North Carolina has scheduled more volunteer shifts than any other state in the nation.

‘She’s going to be here a lot more’

Thursday’s press conference may have differed in vibe, but the substance of the speeches and warnings about Trump were no different than those from last week, last month, last year.

The fundamental issues have not changed, nor has Trump’s record, Democrats said.

Cooper, along with the NC Dems Chair Anderson Clayton, and other speakers, repeated their warnings that Trump would push for national abortion restrictions, pursue political vengeance from the White House, and dismantle institutional protections against authoritarianism.

They also warned about Project 2025, a 900-page document written by Trump associates that lays out the far-right wish list for his second term, including abolishing the US Department of Education and dismantling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which helps North Carolina prepare for hurricanes. 

That, Cooper said, is “a stunning proposal,” that could leave the state unprepared and unable to respond to dangerous storms and other effects of climate change.

“We went through this with [Trump] before,” Cooper said. “[He] would weaken our preparedness, weaken our resilience … and fight provisions that fight climate change at every step.”

The Democrats also repeated many of the main lines of attack against Trump that Harris has used so far, including comparing her time as a prosecutor in California to Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts and his other legal charges, including accusations of sexual assault. 

“As a prosecutor, Kamala Harris specialized in cases involving sexual abuse,” NC State Senator Natalie Murdock said. “Well, Donald Trump was found liable by a jury of committing sexual abuse and we will be reminding him of that.” 

But Trump was no longer the main focus. 

“Vice President Kamala Harris is uniquely qualified to keep moving our country forward and make life better for working people,” Clayton said in the press conference. 

“Kamala Harris fights for you. She fights with us and she’s with us this year,” Clayton said.

The speakers also highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts in North Carolina, which have brought in billions in investments to repair vital infrastructure, replace lead pipes, and expand Medicaid.

Her focus on the state would not diminish, said Cooper, who is reported to be on a shortlist of Harris’ potential running mates.

Harris has made seven trips to the state this year, and 15 in the last four years. 

“It’s been great to host her in North Carolina,” Cooper said. 

“She cares about this state and she’s going to be here a lot more.”

‘I’ve never seen this kind of excitement.’

Enthusiasm is hard to sustain, and for all the talk of game-changers, the election will still likely be close. Some polls show Trump slightly ahead, while others show him neck and neck with Harris. 

But Harris’ campaign also has several historic qualities that have added to the initial excitement. 

If Harris wins the official nomination, as expected, at the Democratic convention in August, she would be the first Black woman and first South Asian American to be a major party nominee. And if she wins, she will be the first woman president.

“It’s really put the wind beneath our wings,” Mona Singh, who was born in India but has lived in Cary for nearly 30 years, said after the press conference. Singh, who is a Harris-Campaign volunteer, said that while she has been in Democratic politics in the state for many years, “I’ve never seen this kind of excitement.”

Just in the last few days, she said, she’s gotten some 30 requests from people wanting to canvass with her group.

“Absolutely exciting times,” she said. 

Young voters, many of whom had grown frustrated with the idea of voting for Biden, were especially loving the prospects of a President Kamala Harris, the nation’s top youth-voting organization said.

“Vice President Kamala Harris represents a new generation of leadership within the Democratic party, which is very exciting,” Antonio Arellano, the vice president of communications for NextGen America, told Cardinal & Pine.

The last few weeks were especially chaotic and potentially overwhelming, he said, but young voters felt re-energized by Harris’ likely place at the top of the ticket.

“What we’re telling young people across the country on college campuses and universities is we do not lose hope. We can win this. And we’re seeing them meet this moment with an enthusiasm and excitement that we had not felt in recent months,” Arellano said.

Cooper speculation grows

Reporters tried four times to get Cooper to comment about whether he was officially in the running to be Harris’s choice for vice president. 

Four times he declined or demurred. 

Has he been sent the official vetting documents, a reporter asked?

“There are a lot of good people that she can choose as her vice presidential nominee,” Cooper said. “I trust her to make the right decision but I also respect her process and I’m not gonna comment.” 

What does your family think about the prospects?, another asked.

“I respect my family process,” Cooper said, smiling.

Why would you think you’d want to be part of her ticket, another asked.

The crowd laughed. So did Cooper.

“[Harris] is going to make a great president, but she is also going to make a great presidential candidate,” Cooper said. “She’s going to make the right choice, I just want her to choose the person that gives her the best chance to win.”

After the event, a long line formed to get a photo with Cooper. He smiled and shook hands, posed and gave hugs. 

When he finally left, the cheers from a revitalized base followed him out the door.