“So Georgia, I love you back,” said Vice President Kamala Harris in her greeting statement to voters gathered in Enmarket Arena in Savannah. Harris campaigned in Savannah on Thursday, Aug. 29th.
Her voice, echoed through the speakers and muffled by the crowd’s cheers, greeted prominent guests like Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and Nikema Williams, the Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Harris’ speech addressed many issues including women’s reproductive rights, aid to first-time home buyers, a need to stop Project 2025, a ceasefire in Gaza, expansion of Medicaid, and lowering the cost of living, including cheaper drug costs.
Many voters who attended the rally arrived in buses from Atlanta while others came from out of state, including several traveling from Florida.
“We are not going back,” responded the crowd in a yelling chant to Harris’ speech.
Her supporters chanted that they do not want a return of President Trump and his alleged involvement in Project 2025.
Many of Harris’ supporters shared they feel confident about the upcoming presidential election and Harris’ qualification to get the job done.
The voices of the people
“Having been an attorney general, a senator and now vice president, she is highly qualified,” said Patti Hewitt, a Democratic candidate running for Georgia’s first congressional district in the east and southeast region of the state. “And, she has a vision for this country for the future to take us into the future and into where we need to go, not pulling us into the past.”
Hewitt spoke about her campaign and why it was important for her to be at the rally in support of Harris.
“My campaign is really focused on the working families … so those kitchen table issues are most important to me, so that would include affordable childcare, that would include universal pre-k, that would include excellent schools, transportation and healthcare,” Hewitt said.
Hewitt said she is hopeful that Harris can win Georgia in November.
“I feel very positive about this election,” Hewitt said. “I think we have an excellent opportunity to flip Georgia blue and that’s exactly what we are going to be working for.”
Two generations of one family drove from Jacksonville, Fla. to Savannah to attend Harris’ rally. Annette Winn and Angelia Griffin are two sisters who accompanied their mother, Fannie Griffin, in matching outfits to Thursday afternoon’s rally.
These women expressed deep concern for their daughters’ future, and they said they believe Harris will provide a hopeful future for their family’s next generation. They said affordable first-time home buying will be beneficial for their daughters.
“She’s for the American people,” Winn said. “She’s not for herself like her counterpart is in regards to his campaign. He’s never been for anyone other than himself, but she has always had one client and that’s the people.”
The trio gained a lot of attention from fellow rally attendees for their homemade outfits, handcrafted the day before by Angelia Griffin.
Many attendees wore outfits to represent their support for issues important to them. Several members in the audience wore shirts showing support for the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights and Palestinians in Gaza.
The rally was interrupted twice by pro-Palestine advocates, who stormed down the stairs of the second level of the stadium. Attendees blocked them from getting any further, and Secret Service officers escorted them out.
Harris and her running mate Tim Walz finished their two-day bus tour of South Georgia, ending with Harris’ solo rally at Enmarket Arena.
Harris is the first presidential candidate to campaign in Savannah in more than 20 years. She will continue campaigning in battleground states leading up to this November, including Georgia.
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