Dems inspired by Harris-Walz ticket

Tate Turnbough, the Roosevelt County delegate for the Democratic National Convention, said the United Center in Chicago was shaking – literally – when Vice President Kamala Harris gave her acceptance speech as the party's presidential candidate on Thursday. 

"It was unreal," Turnbough said.

Turnbough said he's among Democrats across the nation – and in eastern New Mexico – experiencing a renewed enthusiasm since Joe Biden announced he would not seek a second term and Harris became the party's nominee.

"It's like a 180 (degree turnaround). It really is," Turnbough said. 

But with less than 70 days until election night, Turnbough said it's essential for Harris to maintain momentum. Doing this, he said, requires her to maintain a heavy presence in rural communities like Roosevelt County. 

This, of course, is no easy task. 

Data shows that 67% of eastern New Mexico voters opted for Republican Donald Trump when he won the 2016 presidential election, while 69% of eastern New Mexico voters chose Trump in 2020.

Turnbough said Harris' pick of Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, could help her defeat Trump.

"He is rural. He comes from that," Turnbough said of Walz, who coached football and taught social studies in the Midwest. "I have always said keeping momentum and keeping the vote, you got to go to rural America. And that's exactly what he's (Walz) doing."

In June, when Biden was expected to seek re-election, Turnbough said excitement for the president was waning, even among Democrats. Especially after a troublesome debate performance against Trump. 

"Sadly, his age was catching up with him, and the media was no help. So I think that kind of poured cold water on people going into this election," Turnbough said. "So I think a lot of people were feeling hopeless, and were getting worried."

One poll showed Biden's job approval rating was at 36%.

Laura Wight, co-founder of the area progressive group Eastern New Mexico Rising, texted The News that "three of my four children are old enough to vote. When Biden was the choice, they were not thrilled and indicated they just might not bother voting."

Then Harris and Walz entered the picture. While Republicans have referred to Harris' candidacy as "a coup" since Biden was the candidate through most of the primary elections, she immediately began receiving record-setting donations. Her campaign said she's raised about $540 million in a little more than a month.

Recent polls show Harris is far more popular than Biden.

"At our last county (Democratic) meeting, we had more people show up to a monthly meeting than ever before," Turnbough said. "We had over 30 people at a regular monthly meeting, which is unheard of for a red Democratic county."

While it's unlikely eastern New Mexico will support any Democratic presidential candidate, Turnbough said Harris' story she shared during her DNC speech was inspiring. 

Harris talked about how she was raised by a single, immigrant mother. She said she wanted to bolster the middle class, focus on using tax cuts to help people who are of lower financial means and strengthen Medicare and Social Security. 

"We will end America's housing shortage, and protect Social Security and Medicare," Harris said.

Turnbough said some of her talking points are a "great relator" to people of Roosevelt County. 

"We do live in a kind of a poverty-stricken area. Several people are on Social Security, Medicaid benefits," said Turnbough. 

Turnbough also pointed out that Harris' story can be inspirational to younger generations. 

"She wasn't growing up with a golden spoon in her mouth ... She worked at McDonald's. She worked her way up, went to law school, and found her passion for helping people that were victims of sexual abuse," Turnbough said.

Boosting Harris' campaign was her work as a prosecutor.

"A big component of the convention is the prosecutor versus the felon," Turnbough said. 

This past summer, Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes, in connection with a hush-money payment to a porn actor. 

While many Democrats were concerned Biden could not win re-election, Turnbough, for one, has a new description for the Democratic presidential candidate after last week's convention:

"I think electrifying is the best word because people are just ready," he said.