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Kamala Harris in Raleigh as Union Members Mobilize for Election Day Victories

Jeremy Sprinkle
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For Immediate Release 
October 30, 2024

Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, [email protected]; Sydney Roberts, [email protected]

North Carolina’s Labor Movement Welcomes Kamala Harris to Raleigh as Union Members Mobilize to Deliver Election Day Victory for Pro-Worker Candidates

Raleigh, NC – With only six days until Election Day, the North Carolina AFL-CIO warmly welcomes Vice President Kamala Harris to the Tarheel State today. Right now, as the campaign fires up attendees in Raleigh, union members across trades and professions are knocking doors, making phone calls and having worksite conversations about how critical this election is for working families. Throughout the state, there are 125,000 union members—a greater number than Donald Trump’s winning edge in 2020. And in an election that is neck and neck, where North Carolina’s 16 electoral college votes will be awarded based on an incredibly slim margin, the labor movement’s state-wide mobilization efforts have the potential to be the deciding factor in turning North Carolina blue. 

The State Board of Elections reported Tuesday that nearly 3.2 million voters have cast ballots in the 2024 general election in North Carolina so far, with early voting numbers showing an increase of 11.9% compared to 2020. The labor movement’s unique role as a trusted source of voter information is helping contribute to this record voter engagement that will be pivotal in electing pro-worker candidates up and down the ballot.

“In order to win this election, we need every single vote,” said NC State AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan. “And union members aren’t just showing up to cast their ballots then going home—the stakes are far too high. We're mobilizing our coworkers, friends, and family. We’re volunteering in our free time to canvass our communities. And we’re having the type of powerful, worker-to-worker conversations that no one else can replicate. These efforts are going to be what tips the balance and secures victories both nationally and locally.” 

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The North Carolina State AFL-CIO is the largest association of local unions and union councils in North Carolina, representing over one-hundred twenty-five thousand union members, fighting for good jobs, safe workplaces, workers’ rights, consumer protections, and quality public services on behalf of ALL working people.