Kamala Harris Campaign Criticized for Lack of Black Vendor Spending

A recent report from NOTUS found that the Harris campaign is facing criticism from Democratic operatives and staffers for not prioritizing spending on Black-owned political firms. According to sources, the campaign is spending significantly less on these firms than President Biden did in 2020, despite the need to reach minority voters.

The lack of support for Black vendors has sparked outrage among Democratic operatives and staffers, who argue that it undermines the campaign's efforts to reach minority voters. According to sources, the Harris campaign has not developed a plan to increase spending on these firms, despite its record-level funding and the importance of reaching minority voters.

Kamala Harris Campaign Criticized for Lack of Black Vendor Spending

"If Black voters are the base, it should be Black vendors telling the story," said one person familiar with the matter. "We still didn’t really have any clear answers on anything."

A Democratic consultant also expressed concern over the decline in spending, saying, "It’s a little concerning to see that the spending is so [much] less, so far lower. I think it’s approximately one-fourth less than what it was at this point four years ago."

Kamala Harris Campaign Criticized for Lack of Black Vendor Spending

The Harris campaign has been criticized for being ambivalent about "Black spending" despite the need to reach minority voters. According to sources, the campaign has faced questions about its spending on these firms, with one Democratic operative saying, "It’s getting pretty insulting."

Current Harris campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond has acknowledged the issue, but has placed the blame on the Democratic Party as a whole rather than the vice president specifically. "Everybody who said it’s not about money, that’s a lie. It’s all about money," Richmond said.

Kamala Harris Campaign Criticized for Lack of Black Vendor Spending

However, Richmond emphasized the need to reach minority voters, saying, "I’ll answer it this way: I am trying to win a race, and I believe we have to touch voters. We have to touch Black voters and brown voters."

NOTUS reported that it is unclear how much Harris is aware of the frustration, though she has allegedly raised the issue for both her campaign and the Biden campaign. However, it is not being prioritized.

Kamala Harris Campaign Criticized for Lack of Black Vendor Spending

Data from the Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion found that an overwhelming majority of Black voters supported Harris over former President Trump 82% to 12%. However, it also found that Trump’s support doubled to 16% for Black voters under 50, rising to 21% for Black men.

Despite these challenges, the Harris campaign continues to enjoy strong support among Black voters. According to Fox News Digital, Harris currently leads former President Trump by over 60% among Black voters.