Democrats in Sun Belt battlegrounds say voter enthusiasm is path to Harris win

CHICAGO - Democrats from the crucial Sun Belt battleground states of Arizona, Georgia and Nevada gathered at their national convention this week are rejoicing in the newfound enthusiasm and energy surrounding Kamala Harris, which has made their states far more competitive since she became the party's presidential nominee.

But with 11 weeks to go until Election Day, party leaders in those states told USA TODAY they will be leaving the Windy City with a commitment to transform that enthusiasm into beating Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and to help lift other Democrats along the way.

"We've been doing the work, and we're just kind of doubling down, tripling down and making sure that no voter goes untouched, untapped and unlistened to," said Daniele Monroe-Moreno, a Nevada state assemblywoman and chair for the state Democratic Party.

When Nevada Democrats received an influx of new volunteers after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and Harris became the nominee, the state party already had the operations in place to have them knock on doors, make phone calls and meet with voters, Monroe-Moreno said.

Democrats are working with the Harris campaign in a state Biden won in 2020 by about 33,600 votes and have so far opened 12 offices statewide and hired 100 full time staffers.

Next door in Arizona, where Biden beat Trump four years ago by under 10,500 votes, the state party and the Harris campaign are running a coordinated campaign with 13 offices and 130 full time staff.

Back east in Georgia, that number is double with 26 field offices and 200 full time staff, according to Matthew Wilson, first vice chair for the state Democratic Party. That should signal to Georgia voters in the coming weeks that they're serious about their chances to win in a state that Biden captured by about 11,800 votes in 2020, Wilson said.

"I've got to give it to Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz," Wilson said. "Their campaign has doubled down in Georgia and expanded the blueprint that the Biden-Harris campaign already had."

The Democrats' optimism stems from polls showing a tighter race or Harris taking the lead over Trump. The latest, a New York Times/Siena poll of likely voters, found Harris leading in Arizona and narrowing the gap in Georgia and Nevada. The Cook Political Report shifted these states earlier this month from "Lean R" to a "toss up."

The polls point to enthusiasm among Democratic voters for the surge in support. But it's not limited to those three Sun Belt states.

In North Carolina, Harris is leading Trump by 2 percentage points, the Times/Siena poll found. Even in Florida, Trump's home state and once considered the premier battleground, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV survey released last week showed Harris within striking distance of the former GOP president in a state that hasn't swung the Democrats way since Barack Obama's 2012 reelection.

The voter enthusiasm among Democrats opens up an electoral roadmap for Harris that did not appear possible for Biden. Putting the Sun Belt states in play gives Harris multiple paths to the 270 Electoral College votes. It also forces Trump to redirect resources in the final weeks of the campaign.

With Biden in the race, Trump focused heavily on the Midwest, picking Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate to shore up support among Midwest voters.

The week after Harris announced Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Vance spent those days trailing them through battleground states, including a stopover at the Arizona border.

Trump has shifted his attention to the Sun Belt. He held a rally in Georgia two weeks ago. He's traveling to Arizona and Nevada this week.

His campaign issued a memo from its chief pollster earlier this week, discounting polls showing Harris with a "phony" lead in Sun Belt states.

But Democrats at the convention are feeling more optimistic about their chances.

"The new people that are joining that are saying they want to be a part of electing Kamala Harris, it's different," said Pamela Castellana, the chair for Florida Democrat's state campaign committee.

The focus is not on keeping Trump out of office, she said. "It's because they're fighting for something now, you know. We just feel hopeful and energized, for the first time in a long time."

Regina Romero, the mayor of Tucson, Arizona and a member of the Harris-Walz national advisory board, cautioned against relying on polls or believing the enthusiasm for Harris will carry over to Election Day.

"We want to make sure that we take all of the energy in that room, and take it to our states and make sure that we do the work, because we cannot take anything for granted," she said.

Coalition building key to battleground states

Democrats in these Sun Belt states agree that the key to securing victories in November lies in their diverse electorates and building winning coalitions.

In Georgia, Black voters account for 30 percent of the state's 7 million eligible voters. Latinos make up a quarter of the Arizona's 4.1 million voters and one in five eligible voters in Nevada.

In Arizona, that includes outreach to Republican voters turned off by Trump. The convention has featured Republicans supporting Harris this time around.

"The people in the political middle aren't homeless," said John Giles, the Mesa, Arizona, mayor who chairs the Republicans for Harris campaign in that state and addressed the convention Tuesday.

"The Republican Party of John McCain is gone. But, until we get something close to it back, it's OK to not vote for a Republican at the top of the ticket," he told USA TODAY.

In Georgia, the party will strengthen efforts to boost turnout among the state's sizeable Black electorate. Given the narrow margins from 2020, House Caucus Whip Sam Park said they will also target smaller but growing communities like Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters.

"It's an uphill battle, because of all the systemic efforts that Republicans are creating to make it more difficult, not just to undermine our freedom to vote, but to ensure that our vote counts," Park said.

Part of that outreach is providing resources in other languages to ensure voters understand how to cast their vote. Republicans in Georgia passed a series of changes to the state's election system after the 2020 election in the name of election integrity.

"One of the best ways of mitigating the harm is to turn out in a historic manner and ensure that Georgia votes are counted. Every single Georgia vote counts," he added.

One of the fastest-growing voting blocs in Georgia are Indian-American voters, according to Park. Harris ascent to the top of the ticket has generated great enthusiasm within that community.

Dhruv Revva, 20-year-old Arizona State student who is of Indian descent and is one of the youngest members of the Arizona delegation, said it was exciting to see someone who grew up in a similar background reach the highest office in U.S. politics, first as vice president and potentially as president.

"It's just so important that every single immigrant kid, every single little girl in America can look at this moment and, in the face of all the misogyny, the dog whistles, the racism, America can still chose the first South Asian, Black woman president," he said.

Joseph Garcia, the executive director for the Chicanos por la Causa Action Fund said they are preparing to scale up their nonpartisan Latino Loud initiative, which aims to register as many young voters as possible in Arizona and Nevada before Election Day.

While Nevada allows same-day registration, Garcia said in Arizona they have until Oct. 7 to register people to vote. But with most voters tuned out until after Labor Day, that gives Latino Loud a narrow window to work with.

"That one month is when we'll be flooding everything we can, get as much conversation going. Really pushing it so people are registered," Garcia said.

Lifting down ballot candidates in the process

Democratic leaders in the Sun Belt battleground states hope voter enthusiasm also lifts Democrats down ballot, from key Senate and House races all the way down to state legislatures and county races.

Democrats narrowly control the Senate, while Republicans control the House. Each party sees opportunities to flip the other chamber, and control could come down to key races in Sun Belt states.

Higher turnout in presidential years could also help deliver Democratic majorities in state legislatures and the governor's seat.

Since Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris, about 30,000 volunteers singed up online in Arizona alone. That's nearly three times Biden's 10,400-vote victory margin there.

"For the down-ballot races, we have this phrase 'flip two,'" said Joshua Polacheck, a delegate and candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state.

"So we're going to flip two state House seats. We're going to flip two state Senate seats. We're going to flip two Corporation Commission seats. We're going to flip two US House seats," he added.

Park, a state representative up for reelection in Georgia, said their strategy centers on tested methods like knocking on doors to connect with voters and coordinating their message.

"We are not just talking to voters in our districts for our respective campaigns and handing out our materials, but also handing out materials for Kamala Harris," he said.

Monroe-Moreno, the chair for the Democratic Party in Nevada, said helping elect candidates locally benefits all Democrats.

"We need to be that blue team. And so yes, doing that work in Nevada, but helping my state party chairs throughout the country get those accomplishments in their states, as well," she said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Democrats in Sun Belt battlegrounds seize on Harris voter enthusiasm