Harris County
Why is the vice president going to Texas?
Kamala Harris is scheduled to appear at a rally tonight in her namesake county, home to the city of Houston. It is an unexpected and unconventional stop for the Democratic candidate less than two weeks before Election Day, because Texas is not regarded as a swing state. And it will be a high-profile event, with Beyoncé performing in her home town in support of the vice president.
Ostensibly, the reason for Harris’ visit is to highlight the draconian Texas abortion ban in order to raise the visibility of the issue as early voting reaches its peak.
Secondarily, it is an opportunity to raise the visibility of Colin Allred’s campaign to unseat Ted Cruz and boost turnout in the largest county in the state. With 4.7 million people, a big turnout in deep blue Harris County could make a difference in a close race.
These are objectively good reasons for Harris to appear in Texas, but they don’t explain the campaign’s decision to send her to a state that’s not on the radar instead of doing another event in Michigan or Pennsylvania.
In this respect, the campaign’s decision to go to Houston may tell us something about where they think the election stands with a week and a half to go.
