‘‘I think this is an intentional effort to both intensify the critique against Trump, but also to hold him accountable for his own record,” said Karen Finney, a seasoned Democratic strategist and close ally of Ms Harris.
Ms Finney added the vice president was an “effective messenger” as a longtime “champion of these issues from her time as attorney general in California and in the Senate”.
Ms Harris met a receptive audience in Tucson, where some wore t-shirts with “1973” emblazoned across them. Others came dressed in pink and green – the colours of her university sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.
‘Heart broken’ by court ruling
Sundi Williams, the president of the sorority’s local chapter, said it was “surreal” to meet with Ms Harris privately ahead of the event.
‘‘Her speech was truthful, honest, empowering, inspirational. And just the type of talk to light a fire under not only Arizonans, but this nation,” she said. “So we would not be anywhere else but here today.”
Elisabeth Tyndall, a 48-year-old educator, said she had been left “heartbroken” by the court ruling, but found Ms Harris’ speech “really motivating”.
‘‘I really love the call to action,” she said. “If we have to be taken back to 1864, then I hope that it does create a wave of voters that are sick and tired of Republicans stomping all over our rights.” Arizona’s decision this week has particular significance for November’s general election.
The critical state, which Mr Biden carried by less than half a percentage point in 2020, could determine not just control of the White House, but the US Senate.
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