Haley Voters For Harris, a political group looking to sway center-right and previous Nikki Haley supporters in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, is rolling out a new seven-figure digital advertising campaign in key swing states, with tailored messages around the economy, fiscal responsibility and Harris’ prosecutorial background.
The effort will particularly focus on Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, the so-called ‘blue wall states,’ and target voters in North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia.
“We think that there are many, many voters who will be receptive to our message, and we know that there are more of them out there, potentially a lot more of them in fact, than the likely margin of the victory that's going to happen for one of the two candidates come November the fifth,” said Craig Snyder, the national director of the organization.
The group stemmed from a political action committee supporting Haley over former president Donald Trump. After Haley’s primary loss, it threw its weight into supporting President Joe Biden, and now Harris with the Democratic ticket change. They’re looking to reach people who voted for Haley in the primaries and center-right voters.
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Group leaders believe with the right messages, trusted messengers and a targeted audience, they can make a “positive case” and grow the number of center-right voters planning to support Harris.
“The question is, how do you get folks who don't like Donald Trump, but who may have never voted for a Democrat for president in their lives, to come over and vote for the Vice President, to kind of cross that last bridge?” Snyder posed. “The answer, we believe, and what our research has shown, is that you demonstrate with facts that the Vice President is a member of the American center."
“She may be center-left, and these voters may be center-right but the key is that they can meet in the center and find some common ground,” he added. “Particularly on major issues like fiscal responsibility and closing the border, being tough on crime-- these are all things that are facts about the Vice President's record, and we believe that a lot of these voters may not know them.”
The series of ads feature lifelong Republican and conservative voters who now support Harris, using what Snyder called ‘facts and common sense arguments.’
“The Harris campaign has been making a concerted effort to reach out and to try to build a coalition with center-right voters and Republicans, but it's still a Democratic campaign talking to Republicans,” Snyder told Scripps News. “What we're doing is having fellow Republicans, fellow conservatives, people with long credentials in the party, in many cases, speaking to their friends, their neighbors, their peers.”
The ads seek to contrast the economic policies between candidates. They underscore Trump’s proposals to cut the corporate tax rate and raise tariffs, something some experts believe would ultimately raise taxes while highlighting Harris’ plan they contend would cut taxes for middle-class Americans and be more fiscally responsible.
“Prices are too high but Trump’s tariffs would be a giant sales tax that would make everything even more expensive,” said Kyle, named as a lifelong Republican from Alabama in the ads.
“With a likely Republican Senate, those checks and balances will keep our country sane,” said Ann, named a lifelong conservative in the ad.
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“I’m a conservative, I don’t agree with Harris on everything, but she was a tough prosecutor, and she put bad guys in prison,” said Jay, dubbed a lifelong Republican in the ad.
The group has tested its messaging among center-right, undecided voters, finalizing it following last month’s debate between Harris and Trump ahead of the rollout.
“What our research shows is that when they're exposed to these facts, it has a measurable effect on their vote behavior and getting them to be willing to cast that vote for a Democrat for president when they may never have done it before,” Snyder said.
The group says it is using ideological preferences and geographical data to target voters. It will identify moderate Republican and independent voters using party registration data, turnout records and consumer information for the media campaign that is expected to reach streaming apps, social media websites and gaming sites.
The organization expects the media campaign will reach more than 2.5 million voters, including 1.5 million in Pennsylvania, 600,000 in Michigan and 400,000 in Wisconsin, as well as tens of thousands in sunbelt states, according to data shared with Scripps News. Snyder believes the numbers are in excess of what’s needed to have a meaningful impact on the outcome of those states.
“Our goal is to have somewhere between 25% and 40% of these center-right voters make the decision to vote for Vice President Harris. We think we can do that. And we think that if we achieve that goal, then we help win these states for the Vice President,” he said.
The numbers could be critical amidst what polling shows to be a tight race between Harris and Trump.
A recent New York Times/Siena College poll found 44% of independent voters polled in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio supported Harris compared to 49% for Trump, but 8% didn’t know or didn’t answer.
Those voters have been a focus of the Harris-Walz campaign, which has made a significant effort to reach anti-Trump, moderate and independent voters.
The campaign launched the organizing coalition Republicans for Harris in August to further its outreach to Republicans. It’s spent more than seven figures on voter outreach, including one ad in Pennsylvania last week featuring former Trump voters who now support Harris, according to a campaign official.
Harris has picked up notable Republican endorsements, including from former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Rep. Liz Cheney, John McCain’s son Jimmy and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, in addition to hundreds of former GOP staff members and national security officials.
“The Vice President is bringing together voters from across the political spectrum by running a campaign about freedom, democracy, and opportunity. Our Republicans for Harris program is taking that unifying, inspiring message to anti-Trump Republicans, moderates, and independents,” said Austin Weatherford, National Republican Outreach Director for the Harris-Walz campaign. “We know that these are votes we need to earn, and we’re continuing to put in the work everyday to win over the millions of Republicans who are ready to turn the page on the chaos, extremism, and division of Donald Trump.”
Trump, meanwhile, has focused on painting Harris as “radical,” honing in on the economy, border and foreign policy as key campaign themes. And on the trail, his campaign has boasted the support of former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
“We see more enthusiasm in the Republican side of the aisle than we've ever seen. Really, the fight is over. You know, some moderates and independents and even disaffected Democrats that haven't made up their mind, but time and again, what they demonstrate is going to help them make up their mind is a commitment to the three top issues,” Trump campaign senior advisor Brian Hughes said following last month’s debate.
