Writer and producer Shonda Rhimes campaigns for the Harris-Walz ticket in Philadelphia Sept. 28, 2024.(Capital-Star photo by John Cole)
PHILADELPHIA— Producer and writer Shonda Rhimes campaigned for her longtime friend Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Saturday, outlining the stakes for Black women in the upcoming election.
“The energy in this room is fantastic,” Rhimes said at a “Books, Ballots, and Brunch” event at Bleu Brook/Bleu B Soul, a restaurant in West Philadelphia.
Speaking in a room adorned with Harris campaign signs, including one that read “Black Voters for Harris” and another that read “Black Joy!,” state Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia) and Rhimes spoke about the upcoming election and how to encourage others to support Harris’ campaign.
“We’re here to celebrate all things Black women,” said Haniyyah Sharpe-Brown, vice chair for Black Women for Harris-Walz in the Philadelphia region.
Rhimes told the gathering of more than 50 people, mostly Black women, that she was excited about Harris’ candidacy and described their years-long relationship.
“I have known her since she was an attorney general running for Senator and she’s exactly what you believe her to be,” Rhimes said.
Although Cephas and Rhimes’ conversation lasted just under 15 minutes, they touched on a wide variety of topics.
“I think, first of all, the entertainment industry needs to do a better job of portraying politicians on television in a way that’s not cynical,” Rhimes said. “In a way that’s not cynical.” Rhimes was the creator of the long-running TV drama Scandal, which portrayed a dysfunctional presidential administration.
State Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia) and producer Shonda Rhimes speak at an event in Philadelphia Sept. 28, 2024. (Capital-Star photo by John Cole)
Cephas asked Rhimes if infusing social issues into her shows, like the topic of abortion, was deliberate.
“You know, I used to say that it wasn’t intentional, it was just stuff I cared about, but then 2016 happened and it became intentional,” Rhimes responded, an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s successful campaign for the White House. “Very intentional.”
Cephas said “we all have a little PTSD from 2016.”
Rhimes said having the ability to relate to people in a way that is helpful can help engage younger millennials and Gen Z voters to become civically engaged.
Non-traditional voter outreach
In an interview with the Capital-Star following the event, Cephas said that “non-traditional events” like that can encourage those who may not usually vote.
“You know, we’re doing the rallies, we’re doing the phone banking, but now, because we’re down to the wire with 38 days left, we have to do events like this that bring out non-traditional voters,” Cephas told the Capital-Star. “And, you know, those that are going to be voting understanding what the assignment is, and that is to connect more people to election day.”
“Black women, we know we are the base of the Democratic Party,” Cephas said. “We also know that we have to really make the connection for so many residents to why it is important to vote in this election cycle.”
Exit polling from the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania showed that 94% of Black women voted for Joe Biden, while only 4% voted for Trump.
Despite those overwhelming margins, Biden only carried the state by 80,000 total votes, or 1%.
“In the 2020 election, 77 million registered voters did not cast a ballot,” Rhimes said at Larry’s Steaks for the 52nd Ward Canvass and Appreciation Picnic, the second stop of her day. “And that number is considered to be lower than normal.”
“That’s a really terrifying number,” she added. “Pennsylvania, we all know the margins are slim, we all know it’s all tight.”
Philadelphia is the state’s largest city where Democrats significantly outnumber Republicans. But, voter turnout in recent elections has declined in the City of Brotherly Love.
State Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, told the Capital-Star he’s confident that Philadelphia is going to have an increase in voter turnout in the upcoming election and that they’ll be able to secure enough votes to push the Harris-Walz ticket over the top in the state.
“Kamala Harris just brings the fire and the energy in a way that we haven’t seen since Barack Obama,” Street told the Capital-Star.
I make stories up for a living and for Grey’s Anatomy, my job was to always to come up with the worst medical scenario and find a way to solve it. I can’t make up these scenarios
– Shonda Rhimes
Cephas and state Rep. Darisha Parker (D-Philadelphia) agreed that they thought voter turnout in the city would increase in the upcoming election.
Parker told the Capital-Star that the issues constituents tell her are most important for the upcoming election are public safety, housing, and the environment.
“They want to return back to their porches and have a cup of coffee and gossip without worrying about dodging a bullet,” Parker said. “They want to do Saturday morning cleanups. They want their kids to play in the streets and not have to think twice.”
While the room was overwhelmingly filled with Democrats, Philadelphia City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, of the Working Families Party, was present at two events encouraging those to support Democrats up and down the ballot.
“Right now, this is all hands on deck,” Brooks said. “…I don’t say this as often, but this particular election, we have to make sure that we elect every Democrat up and down the ballot.”
Rally for reproductive rights
The last stop of the day for Rhimes was at a reproductive freedom rally with Gov. Josh Shapiro and other area Democrats in Montgomery County.
“What’s going on with reproductive freedom is shocking to me,” Rhimes said at the rally. “I make stories up for a living and for Grey’s Anatomy, my job was to always to come up with the worst medical scenario and find a way to solve it.”
“I can’t make up these scenarios,” she said. “And there’s no solution to them right now.”
Rhimes pointed the blame at Trump for appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Shapiro thanked Rhimes for attending the rally and for “caring about the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, thank you for caring about women’s rights, thank you for caring about freedom, and by the way, thank you for making some great TV shows, too.”
Shapiro noted that Harris has said she’d sign legislation to codify Roe as the law of the land, if she wins the presidency, a clear contrast between Harris and Trump.
Women’s freedom to choose is on the line in this election.
But with our vote, we have the opportunity to protect abortion access, expand our freedoms, and move our American story forward — and elect @KamalaHarris.
The women of Montco, @shondarhimes, and I are ready. pic.twitter.com/Hst5LS5fhu
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) September 28, 2024
The Trump campaign responded to the event, backing his stance on abortion policies.
“President Trump has long been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions on abortion and has been very clear that he will NOT sign a federal ban when he is back in the White House,” said Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s National Press Secretary. “President Trump also supports universal access to contraception and IVF.
Trump has stated he thinks moving abortion law decisions to the states was what everyone wanted, but several states have implemented rigid abortion bans since Roe was overturned. In Pennsylvania, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Most polling shows Harris and Trump in a race within the margin of error for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes. However, when it comes to the issue of abortion, Harris has an advantage.
A poll from the Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Times, and Siena College showed Harris leads Trump by 25 points when voters were asked which candidate they trust more on the issue of abortion in Pennsylvania. However, that same poll showed Trump leading Harris on the economy, which remains one of the most important issues for Democrats and Republicans.
A Susquehanna Polling & Research poll of likely voters conducted Sept. 16 to 22 showed Harris and Trump tied in Pennsylvania overall.
The Trump campaign was also active in Pennsylvania on Saturday. U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican Party’s candidate for vice president, participated in events in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Sunday is slated to be another busy day on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania.
Rhimes will be in Pittsburgh to attend a Steelers watch party with former Steeler Will Allen, Michael Keaton, Lt. Gov. Davis, and other local leaders. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma.) and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will be in the Philadelphia suburbs on behalf of the Harris campaign.
Trump will lead a rally in Erie County on Sunday afternoon.
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