VP Harris ramps up Texas appearances, experts say it might not be for votes

HOUSTON, Texas (KBTX) – It’s been just over a week since Vice President Kamala Harris became the top Democrat in the Presidential race.

Since then, she’s had two public appearances in Houston. Wednesday, Harris was the keynote speaker for the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. biannual conference. This was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Downtown Houston. Harris spoke to the crowd about her intentions to run for the presidency and highlighting herself as the candidate who would protect fundamental freedoms.

This month, she’s made three trips to the Lone Star State. This has been met with some pushback as numerous state leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have highlighted an absence of trips to Texas since taking office.

Despite criticism from Republicans, experts say this is a strategic move.

“I think the Texas is an ATM and it’s true for Democrats and Republicans. They need to visit here as often as possible,” Sam Houston State University Political Sciences Clinical Professor, Mike Yawn, said. “She’s doing her party of benefit and she’s doing herself a benefit by raising money.”

Yawn said historically though, these trips to Texas won’t give her the votes to turn Texas blue in November.

“This could be dangerous because we saw this with Hillary Clinton in 2016,” he said. “She was visiting some states that were slightly red states in the hope of really getting a tipping point and what happened is because she didn’t go to states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, she ended up losing some of those states that she has no business losing.”

Attendees of the conference shared excitement for Harris’s appearance at the event. Not only to hear her speak but to help spread Harris’s message to others.

“We’re excited, particularly about the opportunity we have for Vice President Harris to come and join us to share our aspirations for the nation and how we as an organization can support her platforms,” Marcia Futel said.

This trip to Houston for Harris continues Thursday as she plans to attend the funeral service for the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. President Joe Biden was in Houston Monday to pay his respects to Lee.