The Gen Z appeal of Kamala Harris

When US President Joe Biden announced that he is stepping down from the presidential race last night, there was a huge sigh of relief.

Many democrats and even republicans, had called for him to retire, especially after a less than stellar performance during the Presidential debate last month.

Biden then swiftly endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as the presidential nominee of the democratic party. 

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

As of today, all 50 state Democratic party chairs have endorsed Harris as the party’s new presidential nominee to run against Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump.

Reports say that the decision has seen Donald Trump and his team scramble to compile dossiers that will challenge the VP on her performance under Biden as well as her past track record in California. 

Trump told CNN: "Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden would have been,"

As a Howard University undergraduate alumni and Alpha Kapa Alpha sorority member, Harris can tap into the black vote better than Biden. She is also an accomplished woman who has enjoyed a series of hard won firsts, something female voters can also relate to.

Additionally, Harris, seems to hold a special appeal to American Gen Z voters.

At 59, she is more relatable than Biden, 81 or Trump, 79. A TikTok referencing one of her speeches, recently went viral.

"My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people.  You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”  (Laughs.)
 
You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."

The clip, which sensitises young people on their existance within a larger community, has garnered 18,000 TikToks reels so far.

Her cool factor has further been cemented by British pop singer Charli XCX, who simply endorsed her with a post that said:" Kamala is Brat" referencing the name of her album and the #bratsummer movement that has over 1 million TikTok posts.

Further, according the the Pew Research center, Gen Z hold more liberal views when it comes to politics than previous generations.

This places Harris, who has been at the forefront of issues like climate change, gun control and reproductive rights, in good standing.

In an interview ith Taraji P Henson, Harris even referenced the immensely popular Kendrick Lamar track when answering a question about  feedback picked up from the campaign trail.

“Yeah, girl I’m out here in these streets, and let me tell you — you’re right, Taraji, there is so much at stake in this moment,” Harris says, “The majority of us believe in freedom and equality. But these extremists, as they say — they ‘not like us.’”

American non-profit organisation, Gen Z for Change, has also endorsed Kamala Harris, no doubt excited by what she represents as a candidate. A woman who grew up with a Jamaican father and Asian mother and, was bussed to desegregated schools.

Gen Z are the most ethnically and racially diverse electorate in American history with 38 per cent of voters aged 18-25 identified as people of colour according to data merged from an NBC news poll.

Like former President Barack Obama, Harris has worked as a lawyer and senator. She was elected as Attorney General of California in 2010 and into the US Senate in 2014.

For republican Gen Zs however, Harris is not seen as a threat per se but rather, as one young republican put it during an interview with GBH media, a move that has, "handed the presidency to Trump".

Still, the surge in excitement has breathed new life into the democratic party's presidential bid.

As of Sunday, 9pm, Biden's endorsement of Harris saw over $46.7 million raised by grassroots supporters in what has been termed as the biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle for the democratic party.

With the youngest members of Gen Z turning 18, This will be the first American election where the entire generation can vote and, it will be an interesting one to watch.