Jacob Ogles
Top Democratic operatives in Florida say the excitement around Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy for President has been unprecedented. It may even be enough to make Florida competitive in November.
“What we’ve learned in the last 24 hours is that every battleground state is in play,” said Alex Heckler, a Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
The Miami lawyer also served as a Deputy Finance Director while President Joe Biden was still the presumptive nominee. But the Democratic incumbent announced Sunday he will not seek a second term.
Notably, Biden immediately endorsed his Vice President as his preferred successor, a contrast to when President Barack Obama declined to pick sides in Primaries after his final campaign. Biden has also turned over much of his campaign infrastructure to Harris. Heckler, like many campaign officials, will stay on in the same capacity he already held.
Heckler, a Florida delegate at the Democratic National Convention, was already part of a late Sunday call where most delegates agreed to support Harris on the first ballot.
As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, party officials said 240 of Florida’s 254 convention delegates committed to do so.
Biden’s campaign account also has already changed its name to the Harris Victory Fund. “There has been a smooth transition on the fundraising side for the Biden-Harris Victory Fund to the Harris Victory Fund,” Heckler said.
The Harris campaign announced the campaign raised $81 million in the first 24 hours with the Vice President as the lead candidate. Additionally, POLITICO reported on Monday that the Future Forward super PAC, a fund blessed by Biden, received more than $150 million in the 24 hours since the sitting President announced his exit from the race.
Regardless, the vast majority of campaign infrastructure in place, including staff hires already on the ground in Florida, will remain on board.
Heckler notably served on the national finance committee for Harris’ last presidential campaign, where he and his wife, Tiffany, were among the then-U.S. Senator’s most significant supporters in the Democratic Primary. He later joined Biden’s team after Biden won the Democratic Primary and went on to defeat Republican President Donald Trump.
Based on history working with Harris, there was little question that Heckler would still be part of the effort to get her elected. He’s not the only Florida figure playing a prominent role in the nascent Harris campaign.
Chris Korge is based in Coral Gables and will continue to be Democrats’ top fundraiser in 2024. Jon Adrabi, a Deputy National Finance Director for former nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign, will be involved in fundraising. So will Marsha Laufer, a South Florida billionaire and benefactor for Democratic campaigns for years.
“Our Party is united behind Vice President Harris and Democrats and Independent voters are excited by her candidacy,” said Korge, now National Finance Chair of the Harris Victory Fund and DNC Finance Chair.
Donor enthusiasm has certainly shifted since news of Biden’s exit and Harris’ entry unfolded.
Biden has trailed Trump in polls throughout 2024, when he had consistently led Trump in surveys throughout 2020. But anxieties reached new levels after Biden’s widely panned debate performance, which prompted many to call for the Democrat to step aside and allow a younger successor to take the reins.
At that point, polls showed Republicans potentially expanding the electoral map to reliably blue states like New Jersey, while once swingy Florida seemed a lost cause despite public protests otherwise.
Now, the campaign expects within a week for polls to show Harris with a lead, and for the map of genuinely competitive states to become clear. Democratic officials feel confident they can compete in states like North Carolina.
Time will tell if Florida becomes a frontline state; voter registrations suggest that could still be an uphill battle.
Of course, there’s more than one race important to Florida Democrats that will unfold in the next few months. Officials with Harris’ operation hope to inspire more progressive and moderate women to vote this Fall.
That could boost efforts to pass Amendment 4, a constitutional amendment that would roll back severe restrictions imposed on abortion the last few years, and could turn out more supporters for Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the woman seeking to upset Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
“We are a big donor state,” Heckler said. “Traditionally a lot more money is raised in Florida than is spent in Florida. However, with a woman at the top of the ticket and with Amendment 4 on the ballot, we have to see if that changes.”
Mucarsel-Powell so far raised more than $12 million for her campaign. Still it likely will require added spending by national Democrats to knock out an incumbent. But Democrats now feel hopeful a helpful synergy with Harris topping the ballot will boost Mucarsel-Powell and other candidates, and as nominee, Harris may just make the difference on passing Amendment 4.
