Emgage Action CEO Wa’el Alzayat described the decision to endorse Harris as « excruciatingly difficult. »
Vice President Kamala Harris has received a long-awaited endorsement from one of the largest Muslim-American voter organizations in the United States.
Emgage Action is best known for its mobilizing « Million Muslim Votes » campaign in 2020. Until now, it had withheld its endorsement over concerns about the Democratic Party, citing its handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The endorsement comes at a time when many Muslim and Arab Americans have chosen to withhold support or back third-party candidates. Despite previous suggestions Harris wouldn’t get an endorsement, the group’s statement says it chose to speak out, citing a « responsibility to defeat » former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
Since its founding in 2006, the Emgage group has developed affiliations in Emgage Action, a PAC, and the network’s charitable foundation. Based in Washington, D.C., the group operates in eight states, including battlegrounds like Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Its backing is expected to significantly bolster Harris’ efforts to engage Muslim voters, focusing not only on her campaign but also on down-ballot candidates.
