Biden campaign unveils 1st ad featuring running mate Sen. Kamala Harris
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign has rolled out its first ad featuring the presumptive Democratic nominee’s newly named running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
The 30-second spot, which seeks to highlight Harris' commitment to public service, is also Biden's first bilingual ad this cycle and is running on YouTube targeting Latino voters in Arizona and Florida, according to the campaign.
"Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres," the ad begins in Spanish, which loosely translates to "Tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are."
“Now Joe confirmed he’s walking with perfect company,” the narrator continues in English before Harris is shown on screen as Biden's running mate. “An ally and a fighter for the Latino community for years, Kamala is the final piece of the puzzle."
The new ad with Harris, the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent on a major party’s presidential ticket, also emphasizes the Biden campaign’s concerted outreach to the Latino community, a voting bloc it struggled to court during the Democratic primary and is still looking to shore up support from before the November election.
The ad comes as the Biden campaign looks to capitalize on the energy and enthusiasm following Harris’ historic selection.
In the 48 hours since Harris was announced as Biden’s running mate on Tuesday, the campaign raised a total of $48 million, a massive haul that surpasses the entirety of Harris’ fundraising during her entire 2020 presidential campaign.
As it has grown its war chest, the Biden campaign has significantly upped the pace of its ad spending, pouring $44 million total into TV, radio, digital and print ads this week and next alone.
Earlier this month, the campaign also announced a $290 million investment in television and digital ad reservations for the fall, with specific components aimed at the Latino, African American, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Biden and Harris appeared in public several times this week, receiving briefings from experts on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the state of the U.S. economy, and on Friday the pair signed the documents necessary to officially accept the Democratic Party's presidential and vice presidential nominations during next week's convention.
“I'm signing this because I'm in this race to win. And with that guy right there...we're gonna get it done," Harris told reporters Friday alongside Biden at a hotel in Wilmington, Delaware.
