Kamala Harris’s Campaign Feels Different This Time Around

Welcome to brat summer, a time when Kamala Harris and her newly minted presidential campaign is injecting the 2024 race with a much needed dose of enthusiasm among Democrats. But long-time supporters assert that despite the viral memes that have suddenly come into vogue, Kamala Harris and her battle-tested base, known as the #KHive, did not just fall out of the coconut tree last week.

While mainstream media seems predictably distracted about what Trump voters think about Harris, her supporters are cementing coalitions and hitting the ground running. Sharpening their wit on socials like TikTok, Twitter, and Threads, the hive uses humor to hit back at the Right’s brand of “weird,” capitalizing on criticism to create viral moments.

And while voters getting a second chance to put a competent woman in the White House should be of interest to political pundits, most news outlets have demonstrated an appalling lack of curiosity about Harris supporters.

Fortunately, we hit the virtual streets on social media to hear how women voters and the busy bees of the #KHive feel about taking another crack at breaking the glass ceiling and why this time around appears to be different.

The #KHive explained

Coined by Twitter accounts who started using the term as early as 2017, the #KHive is a group of devoted supporters who do the heavy lifting on social media to shape public opinion about VP Harris. Modeled after Beyoncé’s enthusiastic BeyHive, this army of Kamala campaigners, many of whom are also women of color, wield superior internet-savvy, combats misogynoir, and consistently produces viral gold that propels Harris into the spotlight.

But the real work of the #KHive is also boots-on-the-ground campaigning and building broader coalitions to ensure the success of this historic candidacy. Harini Krishnan, the 51-year old co-national director of South Asians for Harris and DNC delegate, explains that while she’s a proud original member of the #KHive, the group has evolved significantly.

“The #KHive is a multi-generational, multi-racial, multi-faith group of people who are united by our support for Kamala and we are truly a secret weapon against the hate and bias she faces as a black and south Asian woman.”

Ericka Artis, an 49-year-old African-American woman from Michigan, refers to herself as an original #KHive member. She says they still spend a lot of time debunking myths about Kamala Harris online. “The misogynoir is just next level, and you won’t win with some people,” says Artis. “It was like Hillary is cold, and now Kamala is ‘laughing too much.’ It’s exhausting. So definitely #KHive will have to be a support to each other.”

Although she isn’t big on social media campaigns, Candy Carter, a 76-year-old retired public school teacher from Cupertino, California, says she and many of her friends are all in for a Harris presidency. 

“As a fourth-generation Californian, I’ve been a Harris fan since she ran for Attorney General of California. Now, I plan on continuing involvement through local efforts. I am one of three leaders of a “Huddle” in my retirement community. We have approximately 60 members and meet monthly to discuss ways to be engaged.”

Amy Rooney, a Gen-Xer from Chicago and a 2020 Harris supporter, is getting to work to elect her in 2024 because she believes the vice-president offers a commodity more important than her devoted fan base. “I think Kamala Harris offers something more authentic, more needed than loyalty —accountability and capability.”

Glass ceilings were meant to be shattered

In 2020, the Democrats offered an incredible slate of candidates vying for the presidential nomination to face down Trump. Among those fiercely in contention was Kamala Harris, who, despite losing the primary, distinguished herself in ways that drew the attention of Biden and secured her a spot on the ticket as vice president.

When Biden bowed out earlier this month and handed the reins of his election campaign to Harris, the VP was catapulted onto the national stage as the immediate frontrunner for the nomination. Endorsements and donations poured in, jumpstarting the race to the White House in a 100-day sprint that will require quick mobilization and an all-hands on deck approach.

Fortunately, there are clear signs that, unlike 2020 and 2016, the path to the presidency for a woman might be less of a climb this time. Just a week into her presidential campaign, the Vice-President already enjoys widespread support among the Democratic Party and currently leads polls nationwide and in several swing states. 

And it’s not just the Democratic Party and the #KHive circling the wagons to defend Kamala Harris. The groundswell of grassroots donations and support has been impressive. A series of supercharged Zoom calls for specific identity groups like Black Women for Harris and White Dudes for Harris racked up unprecedented attendee numbers online and millions of dollars in fund-raising for the Harris campaign.

In fact, Kamala Harris seems like the perfect candidate to meet this moment, finally bringing the country a step closer to shattering the glass ceiling. Unlike Hillary Clinton, she doesn’t carry the baggage of a political dynasty nipping at her heels. And she faces an aging, increasingly erratic convicted felon who, together with his VP pick J.D. Vance, has promised to usher fascism into the Oval Office through Project 2025.

The contrast between the two campaigns highlights obvious disparities between the candidates and the parties themselves: An aging, bigoted convict lobs hate-filled, fearful rants from the seclusion of his estate, while the other is an accomplished woman of color helming an inspiring and joyful campaign to encouraging voters to dream of a country in which they can feel welcome and cared for.

Why Harris supporters believe 2024 is different

“I have even heard older people say” I don’t know, I don’t think America is ready for a Black woman president, but I remind them that people said the same thing about Obama, and it wasn’t until three weeks before I thought we might have a chance,” reminds Artis. “So, now I am trying to reframe my mind and tell those people to think—what can I do in all my power to make this happen?”

Wendy Lalli, an 80-year old staunch Obama supporter and lifelong Democrat, says she’s thrilled to see a woman again at the top of the ticket and hopeful that more voters are aware of the serious stakes and possible consequences of another Trump presidency.

“Project 2025 makes the choice very clear,” says Lalli. “Additionally, Kamala is not old, white, male, and boring. She’s a different kind of candidate and it’s a different kind of campaign.”

Krishnan also sees different dynamics in play as Kamala Harris prepares to take the stage for rallies in swing states across the country next week. She says it’s not only that Harris is better known as vice-president, but also that she’s become the face of the fight for abortion and bodily autonomy.

“By endorsing Kamala, President Biden has thrown the entire weight of the Democratic Party behind her and the country is ready for her to become our first woman president,” asserts Krishan. “Just look at the unprecedented excitement and energy around her candidacy over the last week. Kamala-mentum is real!”

Artis says the enthusiasm and support surrounding the Harris campaign even took some of the #KHive by surprise, many of whom were preparing for a fight to help secure her nomination. “Before Biden dropped out, it was so much chatter about how he should leave and who he should pick (which was almost never Kamala sadly), and I honestly thought that the powers that be were going to pick another white guy, so it was really nice that Biden endorsed Harris right away and many other government officials followed suit.”

The weight of a historic candidacy

Even outside the #KHive, Kamala Harris and her candidacy are heavily symbolic for voters. They’ll head to the polls in November, many voters in states where a woman’s well-being is jeopardized by the loss of abortion rights. Harris stands on the ticket in direct opposition of a Republican Party openly advocating for a national abortion ban and a bid to end democracy in favor of fascism.

As Carter reminds us, it was not long ago that women were not able to access even the illusion of equal protection and rights under the law in this country. “The women I ‘huddle’ with (and I) really remember what it was like when we were living at a time when we couldn’t even apply for a credit card without a male signature,” recalls Carter. “I had college friends who had to go to Mexico to get an abortion. These are not abstract memories; I remember these indignities like it was yesterday.”

As Kamala Harris and the #KHive gather their people and wade forward into the chaos of a presidential election cycle, the hope is that voters are better equipped to challenge the flood of misogyny and racism that will inevitably dominate the national dialogue. And work together to keep the conversation grounded in how this election can redeem or condemn American ideals.

“Harris is competent. She has experience in the White House. She is an effective leader. She is a woman and a woman of color,” says Rooney. “Someone that can genuinely understand how people have historically been marginalized, whose experiences and concerns have gone unheard and unaddressed, might be feeling. This is an opportunity to reset and redeem, to reassert our priorities as a country.”