Vice President Kamala Harris Launches Presidential Campaign in Atlanta
Kamala Harris at her rally in Atlanta, Georgia.
Just over a week after announcing her candidacy, Vice President Kamala Harris held an energizing rally to kick off her presidential campaign. Thousands of people waited in line to enter the Georgia State University Convocation Center in Atlanta, and the energy surrounding each speaker was undeniable.
The event illustrated unity within the Democratic Party, emphasized the importance of voter participation in Georgia, and highlighted policy priorities for a Harris administration.
The message rang clear: When we VOTE, we WIN.
Maura Keller is a Democratic candidate who supports the progress that Harris intends to make regarding economic opportunity and the middle class, defense of American freedoms threatened by Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda, and accessible healthcare for all. Keller supports Kamala Harris in her advocacy for the best interest of thousands of ill-represented Georgians in the 3rd District.
Throughout the rally, we heard enthusiastic support from Georgia’s own representatives: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Congresswoman Nikema Wiliams, and Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, whose historic 2020 campaigns exemplified Georgia's influence at the federal level.
“They said that we couldn't win…And when the whole nation looked to Georgia, you elected to the U.S. Senate a Black pastor who holds Dr. King’s pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church and the young Jewish son of an immigrant to represent you in the United States Senate. You did that, Georgia,” Jon Ossoff remarked.
Warnock’s election as Georgia’s first Black senator and Ossoff’s election as Georgia’s first Jewish senator exemplified our state’s influence and progress. Both Senators urged voters to support Kamala Harris in becoming the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to serve as President.
The event empowered Georgia Democrats, reminding us of the success of the 2020 election cycle and urging us to create the same momentum in 2024. Harris’s rally instilled confidence in Georgia’s ability to flip seats blue and diversify our representation up and down the ballot, putting Kamala Harris in an office that a woman has never held before.
Maura Keller is prepared to do the same, and will become the first woman to hold Georgia’s 3rd district congressional seat in history.
2020 Gubernatorial candidate and Voting rights champion Stacey Abrams received resounding cheers and applause from the moment she took the stage, the crowd immediately chanting her name. Abrams redirected the crowd to chant “Kamala,” using her speech to again empower Georgia voters and volunteers to take an active role in this all-important election cycle.
“We’re not just dreamers, we’re DO-ERs in Georgia…We do the job of connecting. We do the job of committing. We do the job of changing, America. And we’re gonna do it again,” said Abrams.
Beyond prominent Democratic seat-holders, the rally also featured young community leaders like Tyler Greene, a recent Morehouse graduate and environmental justice leader, Quavo, a rapper and Atlanta native passionate about gun violence prevention, and Grammy award-winning performer Megan Thee Stallion.
The audience was filled with voters of all backgrounds and ages—union workers, students, families, local politicians—all of which hold precious stake in this year’s election. The eruptions of applause, exclamations, and waves of blue ‘KAMALA’ signs showcased genuine enthusiasm and attention from the event’s start to finish.
Vice President Kamala Harris called upon the state of Georgia for support while offering hope and encouragement:
“We have a fight in front of us. And we are the underdogs in this race…But you see, this is a people-powered campaign. In fact, after I announced my candidacy, we saw the best week of grassroots fundraising in presidential campaign history…the momentum in this race is shifting. And there are signs that Donald Trump is feeling it.”
The Presidential candidate went on to challenge former President Trump to a debate once again after he previously declined. His refusal paired with Harris’s incredibly strong campaign launch has inspired Democrats across the state to take an active role in 2024 elections, and more success is to come if Georgia keeps up the momentum.
