The Democratic nominee is facing an uphill battle among black male voters, which could impact her campaign’s fate in November.
Sherman Younger, a registered voter from the small town of Chatham in Virginia, voted for Joe Biden in 2020. This year, however, he is on the fence about supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.
Younger is one of the undecided voters who hold significant sway in the upcoming presidential election, as Harris and former President Donald Trump vie for their support.
“The cost of living is too high,” the 59-year-old car mechanic told The Epoch Times.
He said that Harris is struggling to win over black male voters, including himself. While Younger doesn’t rule out voting for Harris, he notes that some men in his community express doubts about a woman leading the country, citing cultural barriers.
Because of his job, Younger commutes daily to Greensboro, North Carolina, a key battleground where Harris held a campaign rally a few weeks ago.
“I couldn’t help but notice that the majority were women,” Younger said of rallygoers, citing a stark gender gap in support for Harris.
The Democratic nominee recognizes the challenge with black men, a crucial voter group that could greatly impact her prospects at the polls in November.
In a recent interview, the vice president admitted that she must do more to earn the support of this key Democratic voting bloc.
“I think it’s very important to not operate from the assumption that black men are in anybody’s pocket,” she said during an interview hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on Sept. 17.
“Black men are like any other voting group. You’ve got to earn their vote.”
Recent polling data underscores Harris’s challenge. A survey by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) showed that 63 percent of black voters support Harris, while 13 percent favor Trump.
“If Trump wins high teens of black voters—if he gets more than 15 or 16 percent of the black vote—this thing is over. He will win Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia,” according to Republican strategist Brian Seitchik.
According to the NAACP survey, which polled 1,000 registered black voters across the country from Aug. 6 to Aug. 12, the disparity in support is particularly significant when it comes to gender.
Sixty-seven percent of black women back Harris. However, among black men under 50, for example, her support falls to 49 percent, while Trump’s favorability jumps to 26 percent.
Black voters have long overwhelmingly supported the Democratic Party. In 2020, Biden received 92 percent of their vote, according to Pew Research. In 2008, Barack Obama got 95 percent of the black vote, which contributed to his decisive victory.
‘I’m Thinking About the Taxes’
Mark Martin, an African American from Grand Rapids, Michigan, told The Epoch Times that he would vote for Trump.
Martin owns a small business that transports parts for General Motors and Ford.
“I’m thinking about the taxes,” the 47-year-old said.
He is also dissatisfied with the country’s infrastructure. “It seems like it never gets done,” he said.
For the entrepreneur, race or gender isn’t top of mind. In his view, national politicians are “not delivering on the things that they say.”
Al Smith, a 34-year-old autobody repair shop owner from Greensboro, North Carolina, echoed the same sentiment.
Smith, who is African American and a Trump supporter, expressed skepticism about Harris’s ability to effectively address the nation’s issues.
He is not surprised about the low support for Harris among black male voters.
“She would have to realize that a black man can trust no one, not even a black woman,” Smith told The Epoch Times.
While Smith appreciates Trump’s track record of keeping promises, he acknowledges that some of the former president’s proposals, particularly on immigration, may be extreme.
Conversely, Dante White, a 37-year-old Chick-fil-A worker from the same city, expressed his support for Harris.
“I think she’ll be a good president,” he told The Epoch Times.
For him, the key issues are health care and food stamps. “I don’t want them to be taken away,” said White, who relies on Medicaid.
He believes the country should invest more in education and thinks Harris would advocate for that.
The NAACP poll revealed that 40 percent of respondents prioritized economic concerns, while 53 percent emphasized the importance of protecting rights and freedoms.
Sanders Supporter Leans Toward Trump
Jerome, who preferred not to disclose his last name, plans to vote for Trump in the upcoming election.
The 43-year-old Uber driver from Annandale, Virginia, cites the economy as his biggest issue.
“The cost of living in the [Washington] D.C. area is outrageous,” he told The Epoch Times.
The dollar’s strength against other currencies is important to him as he frequently travels overseas, he said, and he supports Trump’s commitment to keeping the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
Jerome was a Bernie Sanders supporter in 2016 but voted for Trump in 2020.
Many voters, like Jerome, still favor Trump over Harris on handling the economy. However, in recent weeks, the vice president has been trimming the Republican challenger’s long-time lead on this issue.
National and swing-state polls still show a tight race between Harris and Trump less than six weeks before the election.
The Harris campaign has ramped up efforts to increase turnout among black and Latino men in key swing states. As part of this strategy, the campaign is investing in ads targeting younger men during major league baseball games, college football broadcasts, and soccer matches across key battleground states.
The campaign also recently bought advertising space on IGN, a leading news website for video games.
The Harris campaign, however, avoids highlighting the historic nature of her candidacy as a female contender in this race.
Democratic strategist Christopher Bruce emphasized the need for Harris to present her policies more effectively to resonate with black male voters.
“Polls don’t vote. People do,” he said, expressing optimism about Harris’s potential to connect with this demographic.
“I think she has a strong record and a strong policy agenda,” Bruce said.
Seitchik recognizes the stakes involved for both candidates.
“We’re seeing a pretty sizable gender gap,” he told The Epoch Times, adding that women are leaning toward Harris while men are favoring Trump.
“There’s always been a gender gap, but that delta does seem especially pronounced this cycle.”
Seitchik said Trump needs to appeal to female voters in the final stretch, specifically college-educated women in the suburbs of Phoenix, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.
Conversely, Harris needs to focus more on engaging blue-collar men and ensuring she effectively mobilizes support within the black community, he noted.