Pro-Palestinian "uncommitted" voters hope Harris campaign does more before election day
MINNEAPOLIS — The final sprint is on, and the stage is set for Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump's first presidential debate Tuesday.
With the Democratic National Convention (DNC) over, the last leg of the race is on, but democratic delegates of the pro-Palestinian "uncommitted" movement are holding out.
Both parties have been crisscrossing the nation, to attract voters and build support.
But uncommitted delegates like Asma Mohammed said an opportunity to unite the party was denied at the DNC.
"The Harris campaign said they did not want a Palestinian Speaker on stage," Mohammed said. "They were missing an opportunity to tell voters that they cared."
Mohammed said a group of 30 uncommitted delegates across the nation decided to hold a sit-in after the request was denied. She said they waited with hopes that party leadership would change their mind, but that never happened.
On the last night of the DNC, Harris signaled her goal of an end to violence in the Middle East and her support for a two-state solution condemning the Hamas attack of October 7 and the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in the war.
Yet, uncommitted leaders say that is not enough.
"The Uncommitted National Movement have set a deadline of September 15 for Vice-President Harris to meet with Palestinian families to talk about how we can end this," Mohammed stated.
Samuel Doten is the co-chair of the Uncommitted Minnesota movement and said he walked away from the convention with empty promises.
"We've heard for months and months VP Harris and Biden are working around the clock tirelessly and yet nothing has changed," Doten said.
Nearly 46,000 Minnesota voters checked that box on Super Tuesday. Doten believes that number could be higher if there is not an end to violence in the Middle East.
Though uncommitted delegates are on the same page now, there's a line in the sand come election day.
"To be clear I'm voting for a Democratic candidate this Fall," Doten said. "But, I know folks who can't."
Mohammed said as a lifelong Democrat she's hopeful the campaign will change course.
"We can make Harris commit to an arms embargo because I think that's the only way we can win," Mohammed stated.