Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, arrive to a campaign event at Wright Bros. Aero, Inc. on Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Idaho is as red as it gets on the electoral map, but you’d never know that from the turnout at the iconic Egyptian Theater in downtown Boise on the August night that Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination .
The enthusiastic convention crowd in Chicago had nothing over the group gathered in Boise. No doubt there were more than a few wearing Chucks (shoe style) and pearls, which are part of Harris’ fashion attire.
“It was the next best thing to being at the convention,” said Betty Richardson, a former U.S. attorney and Democratic congressional candidate who along with Louise Seeley is heading a group called Idaho Women for Harris-Walz.
As Richardson tells it, enthusiasm for the Harris-Walz ticket is through the roof. It’s especially high after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race. Richardson was among the Democrats who knew that a change at the top of the ticket was needed after Biden’s stumbling debate performance in June. What she didn’t know was how much the interest would grow in the aftermath. This quiet little group of about 10,000 attracted more than 3,000 more members since Biden dropped out. And there’s even more interest in the wake of Harris’ debate performance.