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SALT LAKE CITY — A handful of Utahns said their faith informs their support for Vice President Kamala Harris during an online campaign call for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who back the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The virtual rally was organized by a group called "Latter-day Saints for Harris" and has the blessing of the Harris campaign. The church does not weigh in on political campaigns and was not associated with Tuesday's call.
Ben McAdams, a former Democratic congressman from Utah, said as a member of the minority party in a state that is dominated by Republicans, he identifies as an "optimist," because "you can't really be a Democrat in Utah without being a wide-eyed optimist."
"As Latter-day Saints, we know that voting for Vice President Harris aligns with our vision for America. When people ask us why we're supporting Kamala Harris, we can confidently respond that we support Kamala Harris, not in spite of our religion, but because of our religion," he said.
Rob Taber, national director of Latter-day Saints for Harris, told Deseret News over 2,400 people RSVPed for the Zoom call as of Tuesday morning. He said about 1,400 participants joined from at least 48 states and the District of Columbia.
"We're a big tent," he said. "You don't have to agree with all of the Democratic Party platform. This is absolutely a place where people who are undecided can come listen in and hang out."
Supporters encouraged others to get involved in the campaign, particularly in Nevada and Arizona — two states that have large concentrations of Latter-day Saints and could prove pivotal in the 2024 election.
It's the latest virtual rally held by Harris supporters since she emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee last month. A meeting of Harris supporters called "White Women: Answer the Call 2024" drew more than 100,000 attendees and prompted Zoom engineers to raise the limit of participants to accommodate them.
Others on the call echoed McAdams' sentiments about their faith reflecting their politics, but Eric Biggart, chairman of LDS Dems-Utah and a convert to the church, said his Democratic leanings influenced his ultimate decision to join the church.
"I'm a convert to the church because of my politics, because I believe that God loves us, and his gospel is one that teaches us to care more about others than we care about ourselves, to forget yourself and go to work," the Salt Lake City resident said.
Utah Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, tried to appeal to voters who don't usually vote Democratic and encouraged them to consider turning out for Harris in November.
"I think we all recognize collectively that there is a lot at stake, and it really doesn't matter how you politically identify yourself. It matters that we get the right person in that position," she said.
The call came less than 24 hours after Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her 2024 running mate, a pick that was celebrated by attendees, including state Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, who is the Democratic nominee for governor in Utah.
"He's the kind of candidate that leaders of our faith have called for us to support," King said, "a person of integrity, compassion, with a commitment to service."
Austin Weatherford, the national engagement for Republicans for Harris, joined the call from a train while returning from a campaign rally with Harris and Walz in Pennsylvania. He described that rally as "electric," describing Harris' campaign as one for "freedom to choose how you live your life" and about "good people in the Republican Party who are rejecting Trump."
