Meeks predicts Black voter turnout could surpass what was seen in 2008

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday said he believes the candidacy of Vice President Harris will drive Black voter excitement to levels higher than what was seen in 2008, when former President Obama first ran. 

“I thought that what I saw in 2008 could never be duplicated,” Meeks said at a press conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and its political action committee, which he chairs. 

“I thought that that interest would fade away. But let me tell you, what we are seeing right now goes farther than what I saw at the beginning of 2008,” Meeks said. “The one time in my life where I saw lines around the block of people waiting to vote, taking their time, making sure they had the right to vote and they were going to vote was 2008 — that, I will say, will be shattered in 2024 in November.”

While just over 62 percent of Black voters cast their ballots in 2020, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, Pew Research Center reports that 65 percent of Black voters voted in 2008 and 67 percent in 2012. 

Already Black voters appear to be investing heavily in Harris, who announced her candidacy on Sunday after President Biden said he would no longer seek reelection and endorsed her. 

Harris has raised more than $100 since her campaign launched, with more than $1.2 million raised on Monday by #WinWithBlackMen, according to reports. 

Meeks said the CBCPAC will target battleground states and predominantly Black areas, including Detroit, Milwaukee, Las Vegas and Atlanta, to encourage voter turnout in the coming weeks. 

“When you see those lines coming out in those areas, then you know what's coming next — the next President of the United States, Kamala Harris,” said Meeks.