Staff Reports
It seems the sands are shifting in the political landscape, and Vice President Kamala Harris might find herself in deeper trouble than she bargained for. As the 2024 election heats up, a key player in Michigan and Georgia—Arab American voters—are reportedly soured on the Harris campaign, thanks to the administration’s less-than-stellar response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. These voters, who typically lean Democratic, seem less inclined to turn out for a candidate they believe has dropped the ball on issues that matter to them.
While typically voting Democratic by a 2-to-1 ratio, a recent poll has revealed that former President Donald Trump is gaining traction among Arab voters, leading Harris nationally by four points. This is notably concerning for the Biden-Harris ticket, especially considering that in 2020, Biden managed to win 60 percent of this demographic’s support. If this trend persists, Harris might as well start polishing up her resume, because losing ground in critical swing states doesn’t bode well for her electoral chances.
Harris just got another problem in Michigan pic.twitter.com/u0jj6U1WYf
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 7, 2024
Georgia, which has seen a rapid increase in its Arab American population—boasting about 80,000 individuals of Arab descent—might soon be a graveyard for Harris’s electoral hopes. As in Georgia, the situation in Michigan is just as precarious; the city of Dearborn is a hotbed of Arab American voters, where Harris’s predecessor enjoyed an impressive 3-to-1 advantage just two years ago. With numbers like those, it’s clear that even a slight dip in support from this community could reverberate across the electoral map, leading to disastrous consequences for the Democrats.
Political analysts are raising the alarm, noting that a loss of support from nonwhite voters, young voters, and, crucially, Arab American voters could leave Harris scrambling to find any remaining allies. The simple math is that if the current trends hold, the Democratic coalition might not be able to rally around a candidate who fails to resonate with critical communities. The urgency is palpable; experts suggest that even a minor shift could send Harris’s campaign into a tailspin.
Even Democrats within the Arab American community express dissatisfaction with Harris’s outreach efforts. Critics point out that while the team is making an effort, it’s simply not enough. Constituents are clamoring for more direct engagement from decision-makers—not just campaign liaisons. In contrast, Trump has positioned himself to appeal to this demographic actively, with targeted ads and a concerted outreach effort to make Arab voters feel valued. The difference in approach couldn’t be more striking, and as Arab Americans begin to reevaluate their options, it looks increasingly likely that Harris’s hopes for a successful re-election campaign may be in jeopardy.
