Emhoff to speak in Oxford on behalf of Harris-Walz campaign

• Emhoff’s visit to the Magnolia State is welcome news for Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak Friday in Oxford, Mississippi at a campaign event in support of this wife’s presidential bid. His appearance is said to be a part of the Harris-Walz “New Way Forward” campaign tour.

Emhoff’s visit to the Magnolia State is welcome news for State Rep. Cheikh Taylor, chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party.

“I am so pleasantly surprised and pleased knowing that Kamala Harris and her husband cares enough about this election to come to Mississippi and to send her better half,” Taylor told Magnolia Tribune Thursday morning. “It’s important that we are recognized even though that we understand where we fit in the scheme of things.”

Harris was elevated to be the Democratic Party’s nominee after President Joe Biden step aside following a bungled June debate performance with Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump. Biden went on to endorse his Vice President as the party’s standard-bearer despite Harris not participating in a single primary election this cycle.

Emhoff and Vice President Kamala Harris married in 2014. They celebrated their 10th anniversary at the August Democratic National Convention where Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination for President.

Given the compressed campaign for Harris, Chairman Taylor said he did not think Mississippi would be in the mix for a stop, especially since the state hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

“Initially, we thought because of the timeline that there was no way that the Harris campaign would consider coming to Mississippi,” Taylor said. “We’re not a battleground state. We’re not a swing state.”

But Chairman Taylor said having the Harris campaign send a high-profile representative like Emhoff gives Democrats in the Magnolia State a boost of energy ahead of the November election.

“It is such a huge a boost for the Harris campaign, for the Democratic Party and the energy that’s needed to galvanize this election. It’s just critical,” Taylor said. “I’m very happy that they had the wherewithal to say, ‘Hey, listen. Let’s come to Oxford. Let’s spend some time with these good folks in Mississippi,’ so they can see us up close and personal about why they need to continue to have unwavering support for this campaign.”

The national Democratic Party has often been criticized by its Mississippi faithful for not being more active in its support of candidates and causes in the Magnolia State. Recently, U.S. Senate candidate Ty Pinkins’ campaign voiced frustration with the lack of support received from the national Democratic Party and even in-state party leaders like Congressman Bennie Thompson, according to an email from the Pinkins.

“Additionally, we have learned that the [Kamala] Harris [presidential] campaign is allocating an unprecedented $25 million for down-ballot spending, but none of that funding is being directed to Mississippi to support local candidates,” communications director Evelyn Stewart said in the email, as previously reported by Magnolia Tribune.

Pinkins is running against incumbent Republican Senator Roger Wicker. According to the June FEC campaign finance filing, Pinkins shows just $52,000 cash on hand while Wicker is sitting on nearly $3.7 million.

Yet, during the failed gubernatorial bid of Democrat Brandon Presley in 2023, national Democrats stepped up, pouring in over $7 million in large-dollar donations. The Democratic Governors Association sent Presley roughly $5.8 million.

Thanks to the party’s national support, Presley was able to raise more than any Democratic candidate in Mississippi history before losing to incumbent Republican Governor Tate Reeves in the General Election by just over 3 points.