Kamala Harris briefs crowd in Raleigh on affordable housing plan
Democratic candidate Kamala Harris visited Raleigh, North Carolina, to talk about her economic program and affordable housing.
Two days after President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, Michelle Soss donated $36 to the campaign.
It was the first time ever that the 55-year-old woman from Vero Beach, Florida, who describes herself as a “fat Jewish woman,” has donated to a political candidate.
The unusual amount was also considerable.
In the Jewish religion, multiples of 18 are considered lucky numbers, she said. “So all the gifts we give on special occasions are in increments of 18 to express good wishes.”
Soss, a lifelong Democrat who moved from New York to Florida earlier this year, says she decided to vote for Biden because she couldn’t stand another Trump presidency, but she was worried about the party’s prospects. Biden’s performance in the debate only heightened that concern.
Soss said she was never enthusiastic enough about Biden to want to donate, but rather her support for Biden was based on not wanting to vote for Trump.
When Biden decided to drop out of the race and Harris quickly emerged as the likely successor, Soss felt emboldened.
She is among many first-time donors — especially women — who say they’ve become more involved in the election since Harris emerged as the front-runner for president. Several people interviewed by USA TODAY said they’ve become more active in the campaign, moving from phone canvassing and door-to-door canvassing to actual cash donors.
About a third of all donations during the Democratic National Convention last week came from first-time donors. The campaign said the majority of donations came from women and nearly a fifth came from young voters.
Teachers and nurses like Soss were the most common donors. So far, Harris has built a war chest of a historic $540 million.
“What moved me is her energy, her strength. I want to see a strong, independent, educated woman at the top, because quite honestly, that’s how I identify with a strong, educated, humanitarian woman,” said Soss, who is training to be a nurse.
Token donation in a swing state
Lakshmi Iyer, a mother of three girls from Exton, Pennsylvania, said she was devastated when Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to former President Trump.
Iyer, a 48-year-old economic analyst who lives in a swing state, always believed her time and efforts would be best spent getting more voters to register and talking to as many people as possible.
“I feel like my vote matters,” she said. “And I feel like if we sit out this election and it doesn’t turn out the way we want it to, there may never be another election.” But when Harris was named the nominee, Iyer said, she felt the added impetus to make a “symbolic” donation.
She contributed $10.
As a South Indian from Madras, where Harris’ grandparents lived for many years, the symbolic donation was her way of “manifesting” Harris’ victory, she said.
“The sand slipped away”
For Niru Kachru, who lives in Woodbridge, Connecticut, the potential loss of reproductive freedom is the biggest concern in the event of a second Trump presidency.
Kachru, 52, who moved here from Dubai in 2005, said she voted for Biden in 2020 and would have voted for him again in November – but she feared Biden’s lack of enthusiasm.
“It seemed like the sand was slipping off my hands,” said Kachru, who works in the healthcare and medical device industry.
When Biden dropped out of the race, she said she was relieved.
“Harris radiated youth and energy,” she said. “She is very charismatic.”
Two days later, she pledged to donate to Harris on a Zoom call for South Asian Women for Harris. So far, she has donated $56. Although she had used phone banking before, she had never made a financial contribution before.
“It’s a historic election, a woman of color, someone of South Asian descent could become president,” she said.
LGBTQ rights weigh heavily
Soss, whose father did not admit to his homosexuality for many years, is therefore very committed to the rights of the LGBTQ community.
The idea that some of the rights hard-won over the years could be threatened was unacceptable to her, she said.
Although Harris has not made her position on the war between Israel and Hamas clear, she said she trusts Harris is on the same side as her.
Soss, who hopes for the safe return of Israeli hostages and an end to civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip, said she was not “100 percent sure” she wanted a ceasefire until Hamas was eradicated.
One thing that gives her confidence is Harris’ husband, Dough Emhoff.
“She cannot be an anti-Semite and marry a Jew,” said Soss.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal
