Harris visits Black churches in Georgia in ‘souls to the polls’ early voting push

(CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris visited churches in Georgia on Sunday, urging congregants to cast early ballots as part of her campaign’s “souls to the polls” push to turn out Black voters.

The early voting push comes as Harris attempts to motivate Black voters, who are a critical part of the Democratic base. Her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, has targeted those voters — hoping to chip into Harris’ margins, especially with Black men.

“Our country is at a crossroads, and where we go from here is up to us as Americans and as people of faith,” Harris said at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest.

“We face this question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” she said. “A country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, compassion and justice?”

Black churches have played a critical role in mobilizing Black voters since the Civil Rights Movement — and Democratic campaigns have long sought to reach those voters, particularly in early voting states like Georgia, where polls were open Sunday afternoon.

Despite holding an advantage over Trump among Black voters, Harris has fallen short in most polling of President Joe Biden’s numbers with the demographic when he won in 2020. In recent weeks, her campaign has made targeted media appearances and unveiled proposals aimed at Black men in a bid to strengthen her coalition.

In an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC that aired later Sunday, Harris dismissed the notion that her support among Black men is lagging when asked whether she believes resistance from some male voters is misogynistic.

“There’s this narrative about what kind of support we are receiving from Black men that is just not panning out in reality,” she said, referring to turnout at her rally in Atlanta on Saturday night.

“I will also say this, Reverend: I am very clear, I must earn – earn the vote of everyone regardless of their race or gender,” Harris said. “And what can be frustrating sometimes is to have journalists ask me this question as though one should assume that I would just be able to take for granted the vote of Black men. I think that’s actually an uninformed perspective because why would Black men be any different than any other demographic of voter? They expect that you earn their vote.”

The vice president’s campaign’s “souls to the polls” effort, launched earlier this month with a board consisting of Black faith leaders from around the United States, also saw Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attend service at Victorious Believers Ministries in Saginaw, Michigan, on Sunday.

At Harris’ church visits, she stressed the importance of voting. “We have to remind people the power they have in spite of those that would try to diminish and make people feel powerless, in spite of those who would try and suggest that ‘Oh, if you vote, nothing will happen,’” she said at Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro.

“For sure, if you don’t vote, nothing will happen. I mean, recently, I was reminded Jimmy Carter voted,” Harris added. “Seems to me everybody can vote.”

A spokesperson for the Carter Center confirmed to CNN last week that the former president, who recently turned 100 and had said he hoped to live long enough to vote for Harris — cast his ballot.

Without naming her Republican rival, Harris referenced the contrast “on the other side” as she outlined the stakes of the election.

“You know, we know in terms of the parable of the Good Samaritan, that we have learned and should live a life where in the face of a stranger, we see a neighbor, but that’s not what we see on the other side of this equation in this election, it is constantly about berating people and belittling people and name calling,” she said.

Legendary singer Stevie Wonder performed, while the Jonesboro congregation joined him in singing “Happy Birthday” to Harris, who turned 60 on Sunday and said Wonder performing for her checked off a big item on her bucket list.

Sunday’s earlier visit in Stonecrest was also attended by Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” for the 98-year-old’s decades-long campaign to make the day commemorating the ending of slavery a federal holiday.

The vice president wore a black suit with a pink blouse in honor of the church’s “pink day,” aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer, and she highlighted her mother’s work as a breast cancer researcher.

Harris said that growing up, she often attended Sunday school and sang in the choir. She learned of a “loving God who asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to defend the rights of the poor and the needy,” she said.

“For me, like for so many of us, church is then a place of growth and belonging and community; a place where we are reminded of the incredible power of faith and fellowship. And in moments of difficulty and uncertainty when the way is not clear, it is our faith that then guides us forward,” Harris said.

Trump on Sunday morning appeared on Fox News, where he said his closing message in the final stretch to Election Day on November 5 is focused on border security, inflation and transgender athletes.

“We’re a failing nation right now,” Trump said. “We’re failing at the borders. We’re failing with inflation and the economy. We’re failing with all of this woke stuff, like men playing in women’s sports and transgender operations and all of these things that are just terrible for our country and we just can’t let it happen.”

At a rally the night before, however, his closing pitch devolved into profane attacks and a lewd story about the late golfer Arnold Palmer.

His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, visited Kroll’s West sports bar in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sunday ahead of a Packers game.

“Go Pack, go Trump,” Vance said after taking a swig of beer.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Aaron Pellish, Veronica Stracqualursi and Kit Maher contributed to this report.

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