MIAMI – When two U.S. senators visited four predominantly African-American churches near Miami Sunday morning, they were greeted by overflow crowds and national media.
One of the guests was Florida’s U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who brought with him one of country’s fastest rising political stars, California’s U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris.
Harris, who is in Florida to stump for Nelson’s re-election, was greeted by boisterous applause at each of the four churches she and Nelson visited, Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church, Bethel Church and Covenant Missionary Baptist Church.
Harris, who was elected in 2016, is only the second African-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. She is the former Attorney General of California.
“It’s wonderful to be here this morning, this Sunday morning, and particularly, in support of my colleague and my friend Bill Nelson,” Harris told the Second Baptist congregation.
She recounted for them one of the earliest speeches she heard in the Senate was one delivered by Nelson. In it, Nelson spoke of years of voter suppression efforts while opposing the nomination of then-Sen. Jeff Sessions to be U.S. Attorney General General.
“Don’t we owe to all our children the right to possess themselves if this is to be a truly free and fair democracy?” Nelson asked. “I believe that two of the most fundamental rights in our democracy are the right to vote and the right to know who you are voting for and the right to have the confidence that that vote is going to be counted as you intended.”
Harris described Nelson as a leader who speaks the truth, and urged members of the congregations to vote for those who speak the truth.
“Our vote is our voice,” she said. “Let’s have truth-tellers who will be courageous… .”
Polls show the race between he and Scott is razor-close.
