Kamala Harris should focus on economy, border during Arizona visit, political expert says

PHOENIX — One Phoenix-based political consultant said Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic plan and border policies should take center stage in her upcoming trip to Arizona.

Harris is set to visit the Grand Canyon state on Friday, although the exact location was not released.

Stan Barnes, founder of Phoenix’s Copper State Consulting Group, said there’s just one reason why Harris is visiting Arizona in late September.

“She believes it’s in play and she thinks she can tip the balance,” Barnes told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday.

Barnes said Harris should focus on two key issues during her visit.

“If she’s here and talking about anything besides the wide-open southern border and illegal immigration and the state of the economy, then she’s wasting her time,” Barnes said. “That’s all Arizona wants to hear from her.”

Why Kamala Harris’ economic plan matters to Arizona voters

Economic fears impact voters across the U.S., especially ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5.

The issue outranks crime and health care, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

That poll said 8 in 10 registered voters cite the economy is one of the top issues they consider when picking their future president.

Although those numbers pertain to Americans across the nation, localized polls make it clear how pertinent the issue is for Arizonans.

Around 5 in 10 voters across the state said inflation (52%) was among their top three issues, according to an early September poll from Noble Predictive Insights. Immigration (48%) and affordable housing (38%) were next on the list.

“We don’t know what plans she has for the economy,” Barnes said of Harris. “Her incumbency in the last few years has seen the highest inflation rate in a generation.”

It’s too soon to see whether the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by a half-point will change Americans’ perception of the economy ahead of the election.

“Some might say it’s too late. Can Kamala Harris actually turn the tide in Arizona?” Barnes said. “Is it too late for her? The answer is no. She’s here for a reason, and she’s got to talk about immigration and the economy.”

Kamala Harris to visit U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona this week

Although details of the visit are slim, The New York Times reported Harris will make a stop at part of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Harris threw her first campaign rally in Arizona at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena in early August. She promised Arizona voters she would reform the nation’s immigration system.

However, she has not visited any part of the border in Arizona so far.

This is in stark contrast to former President Donald Trump, who held a somber press event near the border wall in Arizona in late August.

During his speech, Trump sharply critiqued the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies.

This upcoming trip to the border could be an opportunity for Harris to flesh out her immigration policies. Online controversy emerged after a 2018 video of Harris chanting “Down with deportation” at a Los Angeles parade was unearthed.

The Glendale Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 12 reposted the video to its X account on Monday.

It’s now being reported that the man who killed St. Louis Police Officer David Lee was in the country illegally.

Also today, this video of VP Kamala Harris reportedly from 2018 has surfaced.

“Down, down with deportation….” pic.twitter.com/WbnWgbY3Il

— Glendale Arizona FOP Lodge 12 (@GlendaleFOP12) September 23, 2024

The vice president does have support in several Arizona border communities. The mayors of Bisbee, Nogales, Somerton and San Luis and two members of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors endorsed the Democrat shortly after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and handed the baton to Harris.

Border policies have played a big role in Trump’s campaign strategy

The border has been a key talking point for the Trump campaign. However, there is one issue he hasn’t addressed: the fact that he thwarted a bipartisan border bill earlier this year.

After Trump came out against the bill, Senate Republicans kept the legislation from passing.

The death of the bill has drawn sharp criticism from Arizona Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent, and Mark Kelly, a Democrat. Both accused him of sabotaging the bill so he could use border issues to win over voters.

Trump didn’t address this aspect of his border policies during his August trip or during his Sept. 10 presidential debate with Harris.

When ABC News moderator David Muir asked Trump why he urged Republicans to fight the bill, Trump used his allotted answering time to talk about how large and popular his rallies are.

Various moments from the debate are being cut into advertisements voters can see on TV and social media.

The barrage can be overwhelming for Arizona voters, Barnes said.

“You cannot escape the advertisements. They’re everywhere, so people are getting numb to this,” Barnes said. “What they’re not numb to is the personal presence of the top of the ticket: either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.”