Harris-Walz campaign hosts Election Eve party across from Midtown
Today, the Harris-Walz campaign hosted a rally at Park Tavern, across the street from Midtown, as the last Georgia campaign event before Election Day 2024. The event included speeches and performances by local politicians, celebrities, and musical artists.
Key speakers included Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, rapper 2 Chainz and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams.
Attendee Racquel Jordan said she came to the event to be more involved in the historic 2024 election.
“I feel like I’m being a part of history,” Jordan said. “It’s part of history and something that I can talk to my grandkids about. And I’m just excited because I think it’s a turning point for America.”
Frank Ski DJed the event. This was Ski’s first time participating in a Harris campaign event, but he was involved in events for both the Biden and Obama campaigns. Ski said as the election draws nearer, each event brings more energy.
“It’s like Christmas shopping,” Ski said. “When you go early, you’re like ‘okay I’m into it a little bit’, but as you get closer to Christmas you’re like ‘yeah let’s go’ and you catch that spirit, so I think the Harris campaign is getting it down.”
For Henri Miller, a college student and attendee, it is important to support candidates who will protect friends and family. Miller said Harris’ promise to sign a bill protecting abortion rights matters to him because he wants a president who will protect the women in his life.
“Think about the people around you,” Miller said. “Think about those you care about. I’m here because I have a 12 year old sister who I want to have autonomy over her body, and I have friends who are queer that I want to be able to marry who they love.”
Ski said women’s rights are a large priority for him as a voter this year, especially because his wife is an OBGYN and has seen firsthand the effects that abortion restrictions have had on women.
“I like [Harris’] initiative, too, over women’s rights,” Ski said. “My wife is a high-risk OBG and she has seen the issues. It’s very dangerous for women when we start putting laws on what they can and cannot do.”
Maya Johnson attended the rally and said voters need to consider people who can’t vote because they are no longer living or aren’t eligible to vote this year.
“Think about a lot of the moving factors,” Johnson said. “My brother is undecided. And I was like, ‘Okay, you got sisters, cousins, you know, what about the people who can’t come out? Aubrey, George Floyd, like, do it for them.”
Nekia Cohea, who attended the rally, said the Harris campaign will create the changes she wants to see in her community.
“I know everything doesn’t happen overnight, but the simple fact is that with [Harris] being the candidate, her being in the White House, it starts the process of change,” Cohea said. “We can’t go back. We can’t go back to all of the racism, the things that Trump started, the chaos, everything. This vote is not about black and white. This vote is about morals. This man is trying to take the rights from women. This man is discriminating against immigrants. We are all here to be equal.”
Cohea said she believes Harris will protect democratic values better than former President Donald Trump.
“Everybody needs to get out and they need to vote for democracy,” Cohea said. “Whether she’s black, white or female or a male, democracy needs to win, because this man literally stated, once he gets in there, we’ll never have to vote again,”
As a middle class citizen, Miller said Harris supports him and his family. Harris’ student loan forgiveness policies promise to support the 43.2 million Americans currently in student debt.
“I like how she promises to support the middle class,” Miller said. “As a middle class citizen myself, that’s very important. Growing up in the suburbs with a teacher and a news reporter as parents, it’s very important to me that we grow and we thrive. I’ve seen firsthand under presidents like Joe Biden what these policies can do. My mother had her student loans forgiven, and it was super helpful to our family.”
Ski said Harris’ policies to help small businesses and first-time home buyers are a major reason for his support of the campaign.
“My issue is supporting small businesses because I was a small business owner,” Ski said. “I understand small businesses are undercapitalized and giving them capitalized credit to help them is great. Also building wealth in communities by assisting with home mortgages is great.”
Johnson voted early and said the Harris campaign has made her feel seen and excited for the first time in her voting career.
“I chose to come because this is my second time voting in a presidential election,” Johnson said. “This was the first time I felt really excited about a candidate, so I figured for the election, I’ve gotta put myself out there.”
Johnson said the celebratory rally was a good way to calm down and come together before the stressful election tomorrow.
“We definitely need something to take the edge off,” Johnson said. “I feel like we as a country right now, we’re very tensed up, like, when’s it gonna happen, you know? So I feel like something like this is the perfect way to take the load off tonight for the election.”
Additional contributions by Hannah Silver
Fairlie Mercer is a junior and this is her second year writing for the Southerner. She currently writes for comment and is excited for her first year as an editor. Outside of journalism she enjoys hanging out with friends and dance.