Vice President Harris plans to meet briefly on Friday with a group of Arab Americans in Flint, Mich., before she rallies supporters there.
The meeting comes as her campaign works to build support with Arab Americans who have been frustrated with the Biden administration’s response to the ongoing war in Gaza and the expanding conflict into Lebanon.
The key swing state of Michigan has one of the largest Arab American populations in the country.
A poll published this week by the Arab American Institute found Harris and her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, at roughly even levels of support among Arab Americans. In recent years, the group had favored Democrats by large margins.
“In our 30 years of polling Arab American voters, we have not witnessed anything like the role that the war on Gaza is having on voter behavior,” said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, in a statement.
Yesterday, the Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz spoke to a Muslim group focused on getting out the vote activities. And earlier this week, Harris’ national security adviser Phil Gordon met virtually with Muslim and Arab community leaders to reiterate that the Biden administration is working to bring about a cease-fire.
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