Vice President Kamala Harris has already rallied Black women, White Dudes, Swifties, and other self-identifying groups in support of her presidency, and now more than 15 Hall of Fame athletes including the greatest NBA point guard of all time and one the best NFL wide receivers of all time are joining the movement.
Saturday, the Harris campaign announced that Michigan State alum Magic Johnson and Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson are two of the dozens of current and former athletes heading up a grassroots campaign called “Athletes for Harris.”
The Athletes for Harris campaign kicks off a fall ad series to hone in on key moments, including college football rivalries, primetime NFL games, the MLB World Series, and more. The 10 co-chairs will be focused on recruiting fellow athletes to help the campaign through travel, fundraising, and using their social platforms to raise the stakes of this election. These co-chairs include:
Thomas Booker, defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles
Magic Johnson, Lansing, Michigan native, former Michigan State Spartan, NBA Hall of Famer, and former Point Guard for the Los Angeles Lakers
Billie Jean King, trailblazing tennis champion and winner of 39 Grand Slam titles
Steve Kerr, former University of Arizona Wildcat and Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors and nine-time NBA champion
Ali Krieger, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion and U.S. Olympian
Candace Parker, former University of Tennessee Volunteer, WNBA MVP, 3x WNBA Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year
Doc Rivers, former Marquette University Golden Eagle, Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former NBA Champion
Dawn Staley, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native, Hall of Fame basketball player and coach, former WNBA player for the Charlotte Sting, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and Head Coach of the NCAA Champion South Carolina Gamecocks
Ali Truwit, a Paralympic swimmer and two-time silver medalist
Chris Paul, Winston-Salem native, former Wake Forest Demon Deacon, point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, 12-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist
“I’m so happy to be a part of Athletes for Harris. I have known Vice President Harris for over 25 years, and you can count on her to deliver on what she says she is going to do. She’ll be a President for all people, no matter the race, language, sexual orientation, or party line. She showed all of us – and showed the world – that she was ready to be President, how smart she is, and her plan for the country in that debate,” Magic Johnson said.
“We are not going backwards; we are moving forward. For all of the athletes out there, don’t be afraid to use your platforms – we need all of you to get involved. Share this with your friends that Vice President Harris has an agenda that will move the country forward. The Magic Man is on board.”
Athletes are among the most trusted voices for key voting blocs, especially with young men, making them uniquely qualified campaigners for Vice President Harris and Governor Walz’s campaign, Harris’ campaign team said. Sporting events and games are also key moments that draw in large and politically diverse audiences, audiences that are increasing their reach with Gen Z and younger men. This fall, Team Harris-Walz will leverage these moments and athletes to organize, reach, and make its case to voters, including through:
As a part of the campaign’s final push toward Election Day, Team Harris-Walz will up its investments into this fall’s biggest games both through traditional television buys and digitally, including some of college football’s biggest games this weekend: Alabama vs. Georgia, USC vs. Wisconsin, Penn State vs. Illinois, Michigan vs. Minnesota, and Duke vs. UNC. The campaign will also seize on primetime games and events that generate huge audiences like Sunday and Monday Night Football, the PGA Presidents Cup, and the final slate of MLB regular season games.
Online, the campaign is increasing its investments and outreach to platforms where sports, gaming, and their audiences frequent, like IGN, Twitch, and TikTok. And this week, Vice President Harris sat down with All the Smoke, a podcast hosted by former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, one of the most popular sports podcasts in the country.
Coinciding with the launch of Athletes for Harris, Coach Walz is attending today’s University of Michigan Wolverines versus the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers game at The Big House. During his visit, Coach Walz will be talking with students about the power of their vote and the importance of organizing on their campuses.
His trip to Ann Arbor is part of the Harris-Walz campaign and DNC’s efforts to mobilize and organize on college campuses across the country. Coach Walz’s trip to the University of Michigan builds on his recent campaign events with students across the country as they head back to school, including events with students from Arizona State University, Michigan State University, Georgia Tech, and the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
Additionally, Athletes for Harris kicks off today with new endorsements by 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers including Mel Blount, Emmitt Smith, Kellen Winslow, Andre Tippett, Marv Levy, Alan Page, Drew Pearson, Kenny Houston, Jan Stenerud, Calvin Johnson, Robert Brazile, Willie Roaf, Mike Haynes, Elvin Bethea, and Ron Mix. This comes on the heels of over 50 HBCU football legends endorsing Team Harris-Walz last week.
Co-Chair Ali Truwit added: “I just got back from the Paralympics a few weeks ago and now more than ever feel the importance of unity and unifying voices. And Vice President Harris is a vote for kindness and inclusivity and unity. Efforts like Athletes for Harris are so important to mobilize that vote. And I feel so grateful to be a part of it and all of our continued efforts to send Vice President Harris to the White House this November.”
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