On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden announced he would not be running for re-election, a decision that had the potential to throw the 2024 presidential election into chaos, with the Democratic party scrambling to find it frontrunner — or even a handful of candidates to campaign ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August. However, Biden immediately made a huge move to avoid a lot of confusion by quickly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee for the election.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” Biden wrote in his endorsement announcement on Instagram. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat [former president and the current Republican candidate Donald] Trump. Let’s do this.”
This decision happening only a few months away from Election Day may seem detrimental to the Democrats’ campaign, but in the eyes of many Gen Zers, it came as refreshing news. Many young progressive voters were extremely vocal about their displeasure over having to vote for Biden solely in order to keep Trump out of office. And once Harris officially announced her official presidential campaign, the internet flooded with supportive messages, many of which came from Gen Zers.
So, with Gen Z’s vote being so crucial to the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, and with Harris looking like the likely candidate for the Democratic party, what are some of her viewpoints on the issues that matter most to these voters? Here’s an overview.
Reproductive Rights
It’s not an exaggeration to say that reproductive rights are on the line during this election. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, reproductive rights have been one of the top issues for voters across the country. Gen Zers, in particular, have shown how passionate they are for a future where reproductive justice is the law of the land. Notably, reproductive justice is one of the issues Harris has been most vocal about in recent years. Harris is a staunch supporter of reproductive rights, including the right to abortion. In fact, during her tenure as Vice President, Harris was often a stronger advocate for reproductive rights than President Biden, whose stances on abortion wavered throughout his career.
In June 2024, Harris said that “everything is at stake” when it comes to reproductive rights in the 2024 presidential election. By highlighting reproductive justice as one of the main issues for this election, she may secure a key demographic of those who are fighting for their right to bodily autonomy, and the allies who support them.
Gun Control
Gun control is another issue that matters most to Gen Z voters. As Vice President, Harris was integral in launching the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center to assist the government in using red flag laws.
Harris made remarks on gun safety in September 2023, saying, “We agree that in a civil society, the people must be able to shop in a grocery store, walk down the street, or sit peacefully in a classroom and be safe from gun violence.” Harris also acknowledged the disproportionate way that gun violence impacts marginalized groups: “While this violence impacts all communities, it does not do so equally. Black Americans are 10 times more likely to be victims of gun violence and homicide. Latino Americans, twice as likely.”
Gen Z grew up in a world where school shootings were commonplace, and many are ready to do something about it. Harris’s stance on gun violence, and her previous work passing gun safety legislation, makes her an excellent candidate for young people to support in the hopes to see mass shootings end.
Climate Change
Climate change is yet another issue that Harris has been supportive of throughout her tenure in politics. As a senator, she was a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, a plan by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey to transition the country to 100% clean energy within a decade. In her 2020 presidential campaign, Harris said she would establish an Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability, according to ABC.
While President Biden is also in support of reducing the effects of climate change, Harris seems willing to take things a step further. Biden’s climate, energy, infrastructure, and technology legislation is expected to cost $1.6 trillion, but as a 2020 presidential candidate, Harris pitched a $10 trillion climate plan, with action items like instituting a “climate pollution fee.”
Israel-Hamas War
President Biden’s pro-Israel stance in the Israel-Hamas war that has been taking place since October 2023 is one issue where he lost the support of many Gen Z voters. A Harvard Youth survey taken in March showed that only 53% of 18-to-29-year-olds definitely planned to vote in November 2024, a large drop from the 2020 turnout rate of 68%. Harris’s potential candidacy is a chance for her to share her views independent of what Biden has already done, giving her a way to reach this new demographic of voters. While Harris seems to share Biden’s moderate views on Israel, according to NBC, some former officials and analysts have said she appears more willing to publicly criticize Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and express empathy for Palestinians in Gaza.
Democracy and Project 2025
It has been said many times during this election cycle that the fate of our democracy is at stake. While that may sound extreme, there are severe consequences that could come as a result of a second Trump term — one of the worst being Project 2025, an initiative to enact extreme right-wing policies across the country if Trump wins the election. This project plans to abolish the Department of Education, terminate the status of “Dreamer” immigrants, deny the existence of transgender individuals, and more.
Harris referenced Project 2025 in her speech announcing she was running for President: “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
Although Harris has not received the Democratic nomination yet, with so many endorsements in just the first 24 hours of her campaign, it seems likely that she will become the nominee. Her work in the next few months will be crucial to earning the Gen Z vote, which could make all the difference on Election Day.