Actress Jennifer Garner campaigns for Vice President Kamala Harris at Grand Valley State University on Nov. 1, 2024 | Sarah Leach
The closing days of the 2024 presidential campaigns have deployed several high-profile surrogates to zig-zag across swing states like Michigan — including actress Jennifer Garner, who stumped for Vice President Kamala Harris Friday at Grand Valley State University.
Garner, known for films like “13 Going on 30,” “Elektra” and “Pearl Harbor” as well as TV breakout roles on “Alias,” has used her celebrity status as a tool for activism, especially in small towns of rural America.
“It’s our right and a privilege, but it’s also our job as American citizens,” she said. “And it turns out that being a famous person, it’s your job to go and talk about it being other people’s jobs, because that’s what all my peers are doing.”
Garner’s visit came hours after Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance visited Portage in West Michigan to push for voter support on the Republican ticket. She also appeared at a campaign event in Grand Rapids.
Standing next to a garbage truck, Vance tells supporters in Portage: ‘You are not garbage’
But first and foremost, Garner said she is the mom of three children, the oldest of whom is now in her freshman year of college.
Garner, who shares three children with fellow actor Ben Affleck, said she recently dropped off her eldest daughter, Violet, at Yale University in Connecticut this fall. She told a crowd of about 100 student Democrats at GVSU that their showing up to see her warmed her “mom heart.”
“My first is a freshman in college and I just want to give every single one of you a cookie and I want to tell you to wear your gloves you could use a hat. It’s chilly outside,” said the Golden Globe winner.
She said the Millennial and Gen Z generations will be the most pivotal voters in this year’s presidential election results.
“You guys are quietly our secret weapon,” she said, “because you don’t poll well, but you’re gonna show up. You’re gonna get your friends there, your roommates, your hall-mates, your suite-mates, your enemies to get to the polls.”
Garner, who made an appearance after weeks of visits from both Harris and Trump — along with their various running mates and surrogates — said the reason why Michigan matters is not only because the swing state holds 15 Electoral College votes, but because 60 elections in the United States were won or lost by one vote.
“That’s so crazy,” Garner said.
She said her Gen Z children — ages 12 to 18 — care about LGBTQ+ rights, climate change and student debt.
One issue that hasn’t hit her family yet, Garner said, was reproductive freedom.
“For women, for girls, for people who can’t have children, who are you going to vote for? Yeah, that’s kind of a big one. That’s kind of a really big deal in ways that it matters to you guys now, but it will matter to your kids and their kids, and it will matter and matter and matter and matter forever if you care about not being embarrassed when you see who is in our White House and who’s going to see other world leaders and represent us as a country,” she said.
Garner also touched on the issue of “common-sense” gun control laws.
“I just want to say, on behalf of all of the grownups in the world, I am so sorry we have really f–ked this up. You deserve better. Can we please fix that with who is in the White House?” she said.
Garner went on to tout Harris being a good choice for first-time homebuyers and small business proprietors.
“This is up to you, guys,” she said. “I hate to say it. I know you are so tired. I know you all have been.”
Garner said it’s difficult to imagine that there are still undecided voters with two choices who offer different directions in leadership.
“That’s really hard, because these are two very, very different views of our future, and so if they’re undecided, wow, bless them,” Garner said. “I really hope that they feel empowered to just show up and vote, because it is our job.”
One thing Garner urged the GVSU students to avoid is not voting — even if their preferred priorities are not being addressed..
“‘I’m going to sit it out’ … that’s not an option,” Garner said. “It’s a binary choice. One of these people is going to be in the White House, guys, even if there is something you really, really, really care about … and really wish that it were represented in the way that you care about it on the ballot, and maybe it isn’t. It doesn’t matter. We are choosing between two people, and we don’t have the luxury of what I wish we’re going to go with.”
She said young voters shouldn’t be discouraged.
“Don’t let perfect get in the way of awesome,” she said. “She’s [Harris] going to be awesome, guys. She’s got common sense.”
As student attendees waited in line to get selfies with Garner, as well as autographs and hugs, many seemed to appreciate her stop at the Allendale university’s campus and the message she shared.
Kat Vann, 21, is a senior studying environmental science. The West Michigan native said she was glad that local candidates, such as Democrat Rebecca Patrick, who is running for the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, spoke about local environmental issues like the current board not using a $1 million grant from the state of Michigan to launch a recycling plant on campus.
“I’m just glad to see that something was talking about it today, even if it’s just to bring a little awareness,” Vann said, noting that the top issues driving her to vote this year are environmental sustainability and reproductive rights.
Patrick, a former regional director for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, said the current controlling majority on the Ottawa County board only represents a narrow, far-right demographic, not the community at large.
“They represent very particular beliefs about a lot of things that aren’t serving the broad population very well,” Patrick said, who assured supporters that she has been on campus vying for votes while her opponent, Ottawa Impact Republican Sylvia Rhodea, has visited campus only three times.
“One of the things that we have been doing is we have been here three days a week talking with Grand Valley students. And probably a lot of you have seen me circling around the clock tower like an airplane,” Patrick said. “If you honor me with your vote between now and Nov. 5, this is not just a fly-by to get the Grand Valley vote. We intend to engage the Grand Valley community.
Vann said she hopes for a Harris presidency to reduce political division.
“Honestly, I have more hope that Kamala can make the political divide smaller than Trump would,” she said.
Karis Gillen, 20, is majoring in neuroscience. The Chicago native said she just wants to support the candidate who is “a good human.”
“I think there’s a lot of other issues, obviously, but at the root of it, I think our country needs to be led by someone who has the values of our country,” Gillen said. “And being a good human is one of those things, and America kind of relies on us all being kind to each other. … Kamala is just someone who is that.”
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