As Harris talks business in New Hampshire, voters see a ‘logical’ alternative to Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris drew thousands of voters during a campaign stop in North Hampton on Sept. 4, 2024. (Eesha Pendharkar | Maine Morning Star)

As the crowd filed into a field next to Throwback Brewery in North Hampton, Becca Oney stood waiting for Vice President Kamala Harris after weeks of volunteering for her campaign.

The chance to elect a female president of color who stands up for reproductive rights is what drew Oney, 49, to the event. When she was pregnant at 20, Oney had the option of getting an abortion. While she decided to have her child despite the challenges of being a single mother, Oney said that having that choice was crucial.

“It’s important to have the option,” she said. “I need a woman that can support that, and who understands that women are not pro-abortion, but we need the option.”

Harris’ choice of running mate was also key in Oney’s enthusiasm for the ticket, she said. As someone who grew up in Ohio with a shooting range in her backyard, the ability to own a gun with background checks and safety measures was echoed in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s messaging on the campaign trail, she said.

The chance to see Harris speak and watch how she connects with voters in person was important, too, Oney said.

“What I really like about coming to an event is that you get a personal connection with the candidate, rather than just how we see them presented on TV and live,” she said. “I think you get a lot more talk about the community that you’re actually in.”

She was one of thousands, some of whom stood in the sun for hours, who saw Harris announce her plans to bolster small businesses, such as the Seacoast brewery where the event was held Wednesday. Voters cited abortion rights and Harris’ vision for the economy, which they described as focused on the working and middle classes instead of the wealthy and big corporations, as top reasons for their support. Another: That she isn’t Donald Trump.

For Bobby Cole, a 41-year-old with two daughters and a son with special needs, there was no question of who to bubble in at the top of the ticket in November.

“I’m a logical guy. I’m a data scientist,” said Cole, a Democrat who lives in Brentwood and likes Harris’ views on reproductive rights. “I don’t see the alternative.”

He stood chatting with another man, Brian Miles, as supporters trickled in; they gravitated toward each other because they were both unaccompanied men drinking beer, they joked.

Miles, who said he favors the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party and has been “been all over the place” in his past voting, referenced his 6-year-old daughter in explaining his support for Harris.

“I just want her to have a better future,” said Miles, a 46-year-old software engineer from Durham. He said he liked “pretty much” all the moves Harris has made since jumping into the race, though he said “she needs to do better on Gaza.” He especially liked her choice of Walz as her running mate; Cole agreed.

Some in the crowd hadn’t made up their minds yet. David Dimauro, a 30-year-old project manager from Massachusetts, said he was undecided but leaning toward the Democratic nominee.

“As much as people hate to say it, it was a strong economy under Donald Trump,” he said. “… It was definitely stronger purchasing power and a strong economy under him.”

He said if the election was held today, he would vote for Harris, but he was interested in how the debates would go and what she would say about small businesses at the event.

His wife, Eva Karaklligis, a 29-year-old lawyer, was certain in her support for Harris, saying she was “more than qualified to be president” and would help the working class. She was excited at the prospect of electing the first woman president.

That was also a meaningful point for Megan Putney, a 33-year-old kitchen cook who works at the brewery. She would like her young daughter to see a woman president who is “fighting for women’s rights.”

On how she would feel about a second Trump presidency, she said, “I need to actually get my passport if he is elected again.”

Many at the rally voiced their distaste for the former president. The crowd booed when speakers evoked his name. Two neighbors who traveled together from Dover were among those who voiced strong objections to Trump.

“We cannot let this other person run this country,” said Patty Kuziomko, who is retired, in reference to Trump. Lindy Morgan, who works at Gather, a food pantry in Portsmouth, agreed: “The other option is just too dangerous.” They’ve lived next to each other long enough, they said, that they also attended Hillary Clinton events together.

Harris was in fairly friendly territory Wednesday, both in North Hampton and the state as a whole. Biden and Hillary Clinton took the small town of less than 5,000 people by 532 and 114 votes, respectively, over Trump. The residential road that leads to the brewery had both Trump and Harris signs on display.

Harris appears to have a comfortable lead over Trump in New Hampshire, with several polls showing her five to seven points ahead, but she warned her New England supporters at the event that it would be a close election.

Biden’s exit from the race may have left New Hampshire Democrats breathing easier, political watchers told the Bulletin in the hours and days that followed Harris’ campaign launch. Democrats present at the event echoed that sentiment.

“I was sad that his time had come, but it was understandable,” said Michael Sgambati, who was a delegate for Maine at the Democratic National Convention and volunteered at the Harris event. “I think he’s done a great job and continues to through his presidency, but I think it’s the right thing for everybody.”

By entering the race, Harris already made history as the first woman of color to head a major party presidential ticket. That wasn’t lost on Chantelle Rioux, who saw former President Barack Obama when he campaigned at her high school in Merrimack in 2008. She has been involved in community organizing and the Democratic Party since then, she said

“Once again, it’s history in the making,” Rioux said.