Harrison works to shore up Black vote in SC alongside Common, Charlamagne tha God
Reaching out to a key demographic in his chances for an upset victory on Nov. 3, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison on Monday took to the campaign trail with rap artist Common to speak to Black voters.
Harrison’s bid to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has garnered national attention, with polls in the race showing the two candidates close in a traditionally red state.
On Monday, Common came to stump for Harrison as well as perform at a drive-in rally, where radio talk show host Charlamagne tha God also is scheduled to appear.
“For my whole life I’ve been looking for somebody who can be honest, who is caring, who takes time to listen, who is thoughtful, who is just down to earth, and from my observation thinks about humanity,” Common said, expressing his support for Harrison while speaking to reporters at Tolliver’s Barber Shop on North Main Street in Columbia.
“I used to see politicians and people running for office just say anything. And we still see that sometimes. I would say, ‘Man, why isn’t this person just being a human being.’ I think you know so many people that run for office distance themselves by not showing that they’re human beings.”
The Harrison campaign events in Columbia took place the same day the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Harrison reiterated his stance that he needs to see how a Supreme Court nominee feels about civil rights in the country before deciding how he would vote on them.
“I still don’t have the answers to the questions that I have (for) Judge Barrett. Where does she stand on the civil rights gained by people in this country?” Harrison said.
“The bright line for us is this ... Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal, I believe all people are created equal. I am not for anybody who is looking that rolling back,” he added referring to marriage equality and a landmark civil rights lawsuit that ended school segregation. “All those things are important, and if I don’t have an answer on it, if I don’t feel comfortable about it, then that dictates whether or not I will support them.”
The goal of Common’s visits to Tolliver’s Mane Barbershop, becoming a regular stop for Democratic candidates and their surrogates in Columbia, and historically Black schools Allen University and Benedict College is to get out the vote among Black voters.
The drive-in rally, which was headlined by a Common concert outside of Benedict College’s football stadium, drew supporters sitting in more than 380 vehicles, according to the Harrison campaign.
Tolliver’s was a stop of former Vice President Joe Biden and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker as they worked to gain support in the state before the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary.
Having Common come to the area gives young Black men an example that their voice matters in the world, said Kierra Wellington, a 19-year-old student at Allen University.
“We need more role models like Common,” Wellington said. “We need more male celebrities standing up, taking a stand within the Black community, standing up for males standing up, and using their platform to break the barriers.”
Harrison also held a drive-in rally on Saturday outside of Wilson High School in Florence, a school built for Black students during segregation.
The Black vote may be key to Harrison pulling off the upset over Graham. Non-white voters make up 30% of the registered voters in the state, and Blacks traditionally vote for Democrats.
A recent New York Times poll found 78% of Black voters support Harrison. Graham has support from 6% of Black voters.
A Morning Consult poll, the most recent public poll available, found Harrison had 83% support from Black voters and Graham had 8% support from Black voters.
Todd Shaw, associate professor in political science at the University of South Carolina, said if Harrison wins, it will be because of the mobilization of Black voters at record levels in the state, along with younger voters, and moderate to liberal white voters in the traditionally Republican state.
“The Harrison-Graham race, if that results in Harrison pulling off what would be an upset victory in the state, you can say, to some degree, it was an Obama coalition that elected Harrison,” Shaw said.
Reporter Christina L. Myers contributed to this article.
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Harrison works to shore up Black vote in SC alongside Common, Charlamagne tha God."
