When Brandon Byrd learned that Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would be in his home state of Georgia to campaign this week, he responded: “It’s about damn time.” Byrd understands rural areas better than most as a native of Metter, a 30% Black town of fewer than 4,000 people. Since 2021, […]
Brandon Tensley
Brandon Tensley is Capital B's national politics reporter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Kamala Harris, Democrats Take on New Tone at DNC
For years, Democrats have been criticized for refusing to stand up for themselves. They’ve gotten flak for going high when their Republican rivals go low. The Democratic Party faithful simply want their leaders and allies to, as one Beyoncé song goes, twirl on their haters. And this week, they did. Their approach seemed tactical — […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Can Kamala Harris Recreate the Political Momentum of 2008?
Black Voters and the Fight for Democracy is a multipart series that explores the stakes of the 2024 election for our communities. This project was produced as part of the Advancing Democracy Fellowship. Jovita Lee wasn’t old enough to vote in 2008, when Barack Obama was at the top of the Democratic Party ticket. But […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics & Policy
Harris Shares Vision for the Economy
Before a crowd in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her economic agenda — her first big policy proposal since President Joe Biden’s abrupt departure from the race in July. It was Harris’ latest effort during her warp-speed campaign for the White House to reintroduce herself to voters, who know […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Ilhan Omar Ends the Squad’s Losing Streak
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Tuesday put a stop to the losing streak that the “Squad” of progressive Democrats in the House had been on this summer. Omar, the incumbent of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, beat her primary challenger, Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member who nearly defeated her in the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How Harris and Walz Are Trying to Shift This Election’s Vibes
“What do you have to say to the American people?” Megan Thee Stallion asks Vice President Kamala Harris in a TikTok video. “We are not going back,” Harris says, emphatically. Then, without missing a beat, Megan sticks out her tongue and makes her signature sound: ahhh. It’s a short clip — about 10 seconds, from […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Meet Kamala Harris’ VP Pick, Gov. Tim Walz
After feverish speculation, Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris’ selection of Walz is the most significant decision of her rapidly evolving presidential campaign. It comes as the two prepare to introduce the new Democratic ticket via a tour through seven cities in battleground states: Philadelphia; […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Harris Faces Critiques of Her Identity, Along With Her Record
Last week, in a moment at the National Association of Black Journalists convention that’s gone viral, former President Donald Trump challenged whether Harris is really Black. He said that he didn’t know that she’s Black until some years ago, “when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black.” Two […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on Key Issues Affecting Black Voters?
The Democratic Party’s likely presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has delivered her first speech since President Joe Biden’s dramatic exit from the race. “I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” she said at her campaign headquarters on Monday, after making anentrance to Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.” “Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. […]
Posted inElections, News, Politics & Policy
Biden Steps Aside, Makes Way for Harris
Kamala Harris pledged to unite the Democratic Party and win the party’s nomination just hours after President Joe Biden dropped out of his reelection bid on Sunday and endorsed her as his replacement. In a statement, Harris thanked Biden for his “decades of service to our country” and for his support as the party navigates […]