DNC: Harris seeks to renew union support, white male voters who backed Biden
CHICAGO (CBS 58) -- Over the last two weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz have been trying to rebuild their coalition to secure blue-collar labor unions -- a key demographic of voters that used to back President Joe Biden.
The duo has visited Midwest states in recent weeks to try and do just that and recent polling shows the Harris-Walz campaign still has some work to do to appeal to white, male workers.
A CBS News/YouGov poll released days before the Democratic National Convention shows the gender gap between Harris and former President Donald Trump has grown a little, and she is making gains near Biden's 2020 levels, but still underperforming.
Wisconsin Democrats emphasized during the convention there's still plenty of time to close that gap.
"Everything has been sped up now and this is all new territory, but I'm confident she will have the support from working people and labor unions," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI 2nd District).
Wisconsin delegate Alex Lasry said, "I don't really see any need to worry" because Harris is taking steps to "appeal to everyone and everyday workers."
Democrats emphasized Biden and Harris' efforts for working people, such as measures in the bipartisan Infrastructure Act that fund federal projects to rebuild roads and bridges, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
"She's done so much already, and they've done such a great job with the administration," Shawn Reents, a IBEW Local 90 union worker from Janesville and Wisconsin delegate, said.
Garrik Harwick, also a IBEW Local 90 member, said he doesn't trust the former president will fight for workers.
"I don't really trust the other side, that person doesn't really care as much about the worker," said Harwick. "It really feels like she cares about the everyday worker."
The campaign has already received a series of endorsements from unions, and some spoke at the DNC praising Harris, but one is still holding out.
An influential union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has yet to endorse this election cycle and they could remain neutral - a decision that would be a first in nearly three decades after previously supporting Democratic candidates.
Harris is scheduled to meet with the teamster union soon.
Democrats, from the battleground state of Michigan, also believe the section of Walz as the number two spot on the ticket is someone that can bolster union support. Walz and his wife were both union members.
They are still introducing themselves a little bit and this is a later start to the campaign because everything that’s going on, but they've been so successful in delivering for us," said Eli Isaguirre, a member of Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights.