Harris and Oprah Winfrey to rally support in livestream event next week

By Stephanie Kelly

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will join celebrity Oprah Winfrey in a livestream event next week to rally support in key battleground states in the Nov. 5 presidential election, Harris' campaign said.

The "Unite for America" event will be in collaboration with Win With Black Women volunteer network, and will gather more than 140 grassroots groups to support Harris, the Democratic nominee, virtually on Thursday. Harris faces former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in the election.

"What is essential to me is getting people motivated to vote - and that's my intention in hosting this event," Winfrey said in a statement. "My goal is to get people excited about the privilege and power of the vote."

Winfrey was the host of the long-running "The Oprah Winfrey Show," as well as a businesswoman and philanthropist.

The event, which will stream at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) across online platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitch, will feature representatives from dozens of groups that have organized over Zoom since the Harris campaign launched in July, including Latinas for Harris, White Dudes for Harris, Win With Black Men and Republicans for Harris.

Winfrey spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, to press the case for Harris.

"I’m calling on all you independents and all you undecided," Winfrey said then, describing herself as an independent voter. "Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024."

Harris will also participate in an interview with the ABC News affiliate in Philadelphia that will air later on Friday, her campaign said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly and Nandita Bose; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)