Philly-based ‘Haley Voters for Harris’ plan to go after anti-Trump Republicans in targeted ads in Pa. and other swing states
From Pa. delegation breakfasts at the DNC to informal rooftop gatherings, "Haley Voters for Harris" wants to work with others — even those they may disagree with — to help elect Kamala Harris.
Craig Snyder, a registered Republican in Philadelphia and director of “Haley Voters for Harris” knew he would be attending the Democratic National Convention as soon as he realized former President Donald Trump would become the GOP’s nominee for the 2024 election.
Snyder spearheaded Haley Voters for Harris (HV4H), a Philly-based group of Nikki Haley voters and anti-Trump Republicans imploring supporters of the former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador to back Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy this November.
Four individuals involved with the group, including Snyder, have been at the DNC in Chicago this week, repping for Harris, networking with Democrats and fellow anti-Trump Republicans, and reaffirming the message of their forthcoming mass voter outreach campaign in Pennsylvania and other battleground states.
Last month, the group, powered by PivotPAC, made headlines after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Haley for what she viewed as associating her name with an endorsement for Harris. Haley endorsed Trump and spoke at last month’s Republican National Convention.
HV4H, which is unaffiliated with Haley, said they “will neither cease nor desist.”
The DNC has been all about bipartisan coalition building and networking for HV4H, Snyder said, by mingling with Democrats at Pennsylvania delegation breakfasts or attending informal social gatherings with Republicans at a rooftop lounge near the north side of Chicago.
“We wanted to really network with other people who are like-minded and continue to send the message, both inside the Democratic Party and outside the Democratic Party, that this is a coalition, and that a coalition is required in order to win this election,” said Snyder, former chief of staff to the late Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter.
HV4H members can relate to the DNC’s messaging of “needing to listen to people who disagree with them,” Snyder said. This is the approach that HV4H is trying to take, especially as they prepare to launch a slew of pro-Harris communication to Haley voters and center-right voters in Pennsylvania and other swing states. In Pennsylvania, the ads will be predominantly focused on Philadelphia and its suburbs.
HV4H wants to start rolling out targeted text messages and advertisements on YouTube and social media to a targeted group of moderate Republicans after Labor Day, with plans to ramp up from there. They’re currently testing a number of video ads and other content to see which messages will appeal most.
“This will not be something that everyone sees, but the people who need to see it, the people who benefit from seeing it, will see it a lot,” Snyder said.
Matthew McCaffery, a former Republican Montgomery County “swatted” for supporting Harris, will be a spokesman for the group. The group’s ads will also feature his voice, Snyder said. McCaffery, who appeared in a DNC video Wednesday night, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
“What matters a lot is that [voters] hear from messengers that they can trust, they believe in, people who they think share their values, and, in many cases, share their history,” Snyder said.
HV4H sees an opportunity to make its case about Harris to the almost 160,000 other registered Republicans in Pennsylvania who gave Haley almost 17% of the vote in the commonwealth during the primary election, despite her exit from the race.
And the reception from the majority of Democrats has been “welcoming,” Snyder said.
Harris’ campaign is inviting anti-Trump, Republican voters into her base. At the DNC, several attendees and speakers — and one host — are Republicans united in fighting against Trump’s reelection. Former President Bill Clinton also thanked Republicans backing Harris during his prime-time DNC speech Wednesday.
“There’s an old expression that used to be sort of universally accepted, which is, ‘politics is about addition, not subtraction,’” Snyder said.
It’s an adage the group plans to live by through November.