Kerri Evelyn Harris
Kerri Evelyn Harris | |
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Majority Whip of the Delaware House of Representatives | |
Assumed office July 7, 2023 | |
Member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 32nd district | |
Assumed office November 9, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Andria Bennett |
Personal details | |
Born | December 24, 1979 |
Political party | Democratic |
Children | 2 |
Education | Howard Community College (AS) Wilmington University |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Air Force |
Years of service | 2001–2008 |
Rank | Loadmaster |
Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Kerri Evelyn Harris (born December 24, 1979)[1] is an American activist and politician who is the Democratic state representative for Delaware's 32nd district.[2][3] She was previously a Democratic candidate for United States Senate in 2018, mounting an unsuccessful primary challenge to incumbent US Senator Tom Carper.
Political career
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Kerri_Evelyn_Harris_and_Alexandria_Ocasio-Cortez_1_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Kerri_Evelyn_Harris_and_Alexandria_Ocasio-Cortez_1_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In February 2018, Harris announced that she would be challenging three-term incumbent US Senator Tom Carper in the Democratic primary election.[4] She ran on a platform supporting Medicare for All, universal pre-K, a $15 an hour minimum wage, and criminal justice reform, among other progressive proposals.[5][1][6] Harris identifies as a progressive, but when asked if she was a democratic socialist, Harris said she "doesn’t necessarily consider herself one."[7] She received endorsements from progressive groups and individuals, including Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, state representative Sean Lynn, and future congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley.[8][9][10][11][12][13] Ocasio-Cortez held multiple rallies with Harris in Delaware after Harris assisted her with her own successful primary campaign against incumbent congressman Joe Crowley.[14][15] Harris lost to incumbent Senator Tom Carper in the September 2018 primary, receiving 35% of the vote. Despite her loss, Harris received the highest vote share of a Democratic primary candidate challenging a statewide incumbent in Delaware in 20 years.[16][17][18]
Harris announced in January 2022 that she would be launching a campaign for the Delaware House of Representatives in the 32nd district. Harris defeated three other candidates in the Democratic primary, receiving 65% of the vote.[19][3] She defeated Republican Cheryl Precourt in the general election on November 8, 2022, by a 16-point margin.[20][21]
Following Carper's retirement announcement in 2023, it was reported that Harris was looking at a 2024 run for U.S. House, since the seat will be vacant due to incumbent Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester's campaign for Carper's U.S. Senate seat.[22][23] Harris ultimately decided against running.
In July 2023, Harris was elected Majority Whip for the Democrats in the Delaware House of Representatives.[24]
Personal life
[edit]Harris lives in Dover, Delaware. She joined the United States Air Force in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks and retired from active duty in 2008.[25][1] Harris identifies as a lesbian and African American.[26][27][28] She has two children.[1]
Electoral history
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tom Carper (incumbent) | 53,633 | 64.59% | |
Democratic | Kerri Evelyn Harris | 29,406 | 35.41% | |
Total votes | 83,039 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kerri Evelyn Harris | 725 | 64.56% | |
Democratic | Phil McGinnis | 270 | 24.04% | |
Democratic | Lamont C. Pierce | 76 | 6.77% | |
Democratic | Lavaughn McCutchen | 52 | 4.63% | |
Total votes | 1,123 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Kerri Evelyn Harris | 2,691 | 57.97% | ||
Republican | Cheryl Precourt | 1,951 | 42.03% | ||
Total votes | 4,642 | 100.00% | |||
Democratic hold |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "2022 General Election Report".
- ^ a b "Delaware Primary Election Results". The New York Times. September 13, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Fishman, Margie. "Dover community activist to challenge Tom Carper". The News Journal. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Issues | Kerri Evelyn Harris | Democrat for US Senate". August 13, 2018. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Meet Kerri". Kerri Evelyn Harris. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Resnick, Gideon (September 3, 2018). "Kerri Harris Wants To Build a Movement. But First She Has a Senate Race to Win". The Daily Beast. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Ayanna Pressley on Twitter". Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Ilhan Omar on Twitter". Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "A Democrat from Dover is challenging Senator Tom Carper in the September primary".
- ^ "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter".
- ^ "Our Revolution on Twitter". Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Harris Endorsed by Justice Democrats". May 22, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Ocasio Cortez visits Newark in support of U.S. Senate candidate Kerri Harris". Delaware First Media. August 31, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "The Team That Helped Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Has Its Next Mission: Lifting Kerri Harris Over Sen. Tom Carper". The Center for Popular Democracy. July 12, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "2018 Delaware primary election results". Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ Grim, Ryan. "Kerri Harris Got More Votes Than She Thought She Needed, But It Wasn't Enough". The Intercept. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Kerri Harris reflects on her U.S. Senate run and its impact". Delaware First Media. December 7, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "Delaware Election Results". Department of Elections. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "2022 General Election Report".
- ^ "State of Delaware - Department of Elections". elections.delaware.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Delaware First Congressional District Election Results". New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ Rubashkin, Jacob (May 23, 2023). "Delaware Senate: Carper Calls It Quits". Inside Elections. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^ "Women running the House: Glass ceiling 'shattered' in Delaware General Assembly".
- ^ "About Kerri | Kerri Evelyn Harris | Democrat for US Senate". August 13, 2018. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Women running the House: Glass ceiling 'shattered' in Delaware General Assembly". WHYY. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Chibbaro, Lou Jr. (March 12, 2018). "Lesbian Democrat to challenge Carper for U.S. Senate in Delaware". Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Kerri Evelyn Harris Is a Fighter". Vogue. August 29, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ "2018 Delaware primary election results". Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ "2022 General Election Report".
- 1979 births
- Living people
- Activists from Delaware
- People from Dover, Delaware
- Howard Community College alumni
- 21st-century American legislators
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Democratic Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives
- Candidates in the 2018 United States Senate elections
- Women state legislators in Delaware
- LGBT state legislators in Delaware
- American lesbian politicians