Oprah’s support for Kamala Harris: Does her endorsement swing elections?
Oprah helped Obama win a million extra votes in 2008, and secure more funding. Could Harris benefit, too?
Television icon Oprah Winfrey and United States Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage on Thursday for an event titled “Unite for America,” aimed at rallying support for Harris’s presidential campaign. Harris is the Democratic Party’s candidate for the upcoming November election.
This is not the first occasion that Winfrey has shown her support for Harris during this election cycle; she made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) last month.
Since becoming her party's frontrunner for the presidential nomination, and particularly after securing that nomination, Harris has garnered endorsements from hundreds of notable Americans—ranging from Hollywood stars and music legends to party stalwarts and even Republicans who cannot support their party's nominee, former President Donald Trump.
Few public figures in the United States possess the same level of influence as Oprah. Her history of election endorsements is well-documented and impactful.
What was Oprah’s ‘United for America’?
Dressed in a copper blazer and glasses, Oprah hosted a talk-show-style event that lasted over an hour.
The gathering was held in Michigan, a crucial battleground state in this election, and was livestreamed on the Harris campaign's YouTube channel, amassing over one million views by Friday morning in the US.
Harris received a warm welcome as she walked onto the stage, greeted by enthusiastic applause from the audience. The two women discussed various topics, including reproductive health and Harris’s strategies to reduce housing costs and lower taxes.
Notable entertainment figures—such as Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Chris Rock, and Meryl Streep—participated via video link.
These celebrities add to the star power surrounding Harris’s campaign, previously bolstered by endorsements from stars like Taylor Swift and Charli XCX.
However, Oprah’s endorsement may hold the most significant weight.
Why is Oprah’s endorsement significant?
A study conducted in 2013 by economists Craig Garthwaite from Northwestern University and Timothy J. Moore from the University of Maryland found that Oprah’s endorsement contributed to an estimated one million additional votes for Democrat Barack Obama—who has also endorsed Harris—in the 2008 election.
