Tensions Rise Among Factions in Harris Campaign Despite Poll Surge

Kamala Harris is experiencing a rise in the polls, but internal tensions are emerging within her campaign as various factions compete for influence and control.

Harris has retained a significant portion of President Joe Biden’s team while also bringing in personnel loyal to her, creating a large and complex staff that sometimes operates at odds with one another, as reported by Axios.

Unlike Biden’s campaign, which relied on a small group of long-time advisors for decision-making, Harris’s campaign features multiple factions vying for power. Alongside her own staff and Biden’s officials, Harris has also enlisted top aides from former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election team.

While there appears to be less tension among the highest-ranking officials, many within the campaign have noted confusion regarding the leadership structure at lower levels.

Efforts have been made to ensure that former Biden staffers do not feel sidelined, but several members still sense doubt from Obama aides. This sentiment is further complicated by the belief that these aides were part of a group that previously aimed to push Biden out of the race.

Mike Donilon, Biden’s top communications advisor, has departed the campaign to return to the White House. In a contrasting move, Harris has brought on election attorney Marc Elias, despite prior strategic disagreements with Biden’s team regarding his involvement.

Campaign officials are optimistic that the brief nature of the campaign will limit the potential for tensions to escalate. One individual mentioned to Axios that while “things are colliding occasionally…it’s not malicious.”

Another campaign source stated that as long as they believe they can defeat Trump in the election, the larger structure of the campaign will function effectively.

Several former aides of Biden argue that the vice president is more electable than Biden, particularly following the latter’s struggles during debates. They are energized by the growing enthusiasm surrounding Harris’s campaign, noted Axios.

However, some former Biden aides express frustration at the need to defend Harris, especially as she has shifted her positions on key progressive issues such as Medicare for All and a fracking ban. They view her change in stance as validation for Biden, believing that he successfully secured the Democratic nomination and the presidency in 2020 partly due to the party’s backing of those progressive issues.

The tensions surfacing within Harris’s campaign coincide with her rising popularity, as she currently leads Trump by 3.3 percentage points in FiveThirtyEight’s national polling average.

Recent polling from USA Today and Suffolk University shows Harris gaining traction among crucial voting demographics, placing her with a five-point lead on a national level.

Polls conducted by Fox News reveal Harris leading Trump by one point in Arizona, two points in both Georgia and Nevada, and trailing by just one point in North Carolina.