The Biden-Harris campaign is making efforts to target supporters of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and moderate Republicans in an attempt to prevent former President Donald Trump from being reelected. The campaign has hired Austin Weatherford, a longtime chief of staff to former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, as a “national Republican engagement director” to lead outreach efforts to independents and moderate Republicans who view Trump as a danger to the country if reelected. Moderate Republicans, particularly those who supported Haley’s GOP presidential run, have been targeted by the Biden campaign since she dropped out of the primary race in March. The campaign is focusing on states where Haley received a significant portion of primary votes that could potentially affect the outcome of the election.
Last week, Biden campaign aides held a Zoom call with two dozen former GOP members of Congress to discuss their efforts to reach out to moderate Republicans. The Haley Voters Working Group, an anti-Trump group of Haley supporters and volunteers who either support Biden or are undecided, is also hiring more staff across battleground states. The group has been in touch with the Biden campaign and is working to court over one million Haley voters across swing states. The group’s new director, Craig Snyder, and another Kinzinger aide, Emily Mathews, have been hired to join the group’s leadership. Despite differences in policy views, the group is supportive of Biden’s recent actions and believes he is governing for all Americans.
The Biden campaign’s efforts to reach out to moderate Republicans began in early March when President Biden stated that there is a place for Haley supporters in his campaign. The campaign has run ads featuring Trump criticizing Haley and plans to appeal to these voters’ concerns about threats to democracy and the Constitution under a second Trump term. The campaign also plans to build up an outreach program specifically geared towards Republicans, with discussions led by Republicans who already support Biden to establish more authentic conversations. Former Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the campaign’s efforts to court disenchanted Republican voters, citing potential blowback from Trump and his supporters.
The Biden campaign is in touch with possible Republican endorsers but plans to announce them closer to November to maximize their impact. Despite Haley’s statement in late May that she would vote for Trump, she has urged him to earn the votes of those who did not support him. Trump has been critical of Haley in the past but recently softened his stance, suggesting that she may be on his team in some form. However, in a recent interview, Trump expressed disappointment with Haley for staying in the primary race too long and suggested that some people might be disappointed if he chose her as his running mate. The Biden campaign continues to make efforts to appeal to moderate Republicans and disenchanted GOP voters in an attempt to secure victory in the upcoming election.
