Written by Matthew Johnson.

The Kamala Harris presidential campaign in Pennsylvania is in a state of complete disarray, according to reports. With the 2024 election quickly approaching, Democrats are pointing fingers at each other in frustration. In fact, 29 Democrats leaked to Politico in a Wednesday report that the campaign lacks direction and is failing to mobilize voters.

Pennsylvania, home to 19 electoral votes, is a critical battleground state that could determine the outcome of the presidential election. Republicans, fully aware of the stakes, have mounted aggressive efforts in select counties, focusing on mail-in ballots and voter registration. Their efforts appear to be working, with five Pennsylvania counties flipping from Democrat to Republican since 2020, as revealed by political analyst Seth Keshel in an October 3rd voter registration update.

For the Harris campaign, the challenge lies in mobilizing voters in Democrat strongholds such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Without significant turnout in these areas, victory in the state—and the presidency—could slip away. According to Politico, the campaign has failed to foster relationships with key local leaders and has struggled to connect with voters of color, leaving Democrats in Pennsylvania frustrated.

The Blame Game: Leadership Under Fire

The finger-pointing has only intensified as some Harris campaign aides have come under fire for failing to connect with influential party figures, particularly in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas. Complaints have emerged that key events are poorly organized and that campaign surrogates are not being deployed effectively. In private meetings, Harris’ staff has been urged to do more to increase voter turnout, particularly among Black and Latino communities.

Nikki Lu, Harris’ Pennsylvania campaign manager, is a particular target of criticism. Some claim that Lu lacks the necessary knowledge of Philadelphia, a city where voter turnout will be critical to securing the state. Although she hails from Pittsburgh, which sits on the opposite side of Pennsylvania, she is accused of being out of touch with the key demographic areas in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Democratic officials from across the state have described Lu as “absent without leave,” with one strategist accusing her of fostering a campaign culture that has alienated local leaders. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s long-standing regional divides, exacerbated by the geographic and cultural differences between the state’s eastern and western regions, have only further complicated matters.

Campaign Dissent: A Fractured Effort

The internal turmoil doesn’t stop there. Julie Chávez Rodriguez, the national campaign manager for Harris, has downplayed concerns, stating that the campaign is doing just fine among Black and Hispanic voters. However, Pennsylvania Democrats have contradicted this assessment, leaking reports that the situation is far from stable. One Democratic official even expressed confidence in a Harris victory—despite the state campaign, not because of it.

Adding to the chaos is a memo from Mariel Joy Kornblith Martin, a former Hispanic outreach coordinator who left the campaign. In her memo, she accused the campaign of preventing her from accessing crucial data on Latino voters and criticized the lack of infrastructure to effectively plan events for the Latino community. Martin’s concerns highlight a significant problem: without a strong Latino voter turnout, Democrats risk losing Pennsylvania, and without Pennsylvania, the road to the presidency becomes much steeper.

Harris campaign officials appear to be scrambling for solutions, but with Election Day approaching, time is running out to fix the fractures within the campaign. Democrats in Pennsylvania are sounding the alarm, but whether their concerns will be addressed in time remains to be seen.

Our Take

The Harris campaign’s disarray in Pennsylvania is a clear indication of how out-of-touch the Democratic leadership has become with its own base. The failure to engage Black and Latino voters, combined with the lack of local leadership, shows a disconnect that could cost them not only Pennsylvania but also the entire election. It’s bad for the public when politicians can’t effectively mobilize their base, and it’s even worse when that failure threatens to hand an election to the opposing party.

The Democrats have long prided themselves on being the party of diversity and inclusion, but when push comes to shove, they’re struggling to keep their coalition together. If Kamala Harris can’t secure Pennsylvania, she’ll have no one to blame but her own campaign’s incompetence. As the Republicans continue to make gains, Democrats need to take a hard look at their strategy before it’s too late.