Jesse Reyes is among the millions of people who wants to see Vice President Kamala Harris become the first female president of the United States. “To me, she’s always been the one that stands out. Since I met her, she’s this woman who’s the underdog, and I always said, ‘I believe you’ll be president one day,’” Reyes says.
“She’s (Kamala Harris) always open to hear what are the concerns with the Latino voters, what affects them, what’s important to them. And she’s always been open to have conversations about what they like to see, what needs to be changed,” says Jesse Reyes.
BY JOE ARCE AND COREY CRABLE
Jesse Reyes is on a mission to help get the first female, African-American and South Asian woman elected to the presidency of the United States.
Reyes, 32, who grew up in Kansas City Westside neighborhood, is one member of a massive team of workers on Kamala Harris’ payroll he’s been by the side of the 2024 Democratic nominee since her first presidential run in 2019, joining as her press communications team. More recently, he’s serving in an events planning capacity, being involved with the set-up and teardown of events where Harris speaks or rallies her supporters.
“I had known her since 2016, since she became a U.S. senator. I met her through connections in Atlanta. And so I was kind of disappointed when she suspended her (original) campaign,” says Reyes, who now lives in Kansas City.
He was disappointed but still believed in Harris’ vision for the country – and his support for her never wavered but only grew as she ascended to the vice presidency.
“She has good views on everything. To me, she’s always been the one that stands out. Since I met her, she’s this woman who’s the underdog, and I always said, ‘I believe you’ll be president one day,’” Reyes says. “I thought maybe down the road she might run in 2028, but now it’s 2024 and (the election) really coming quick. And I’m loving the energy that people are rallying behind her.”
That energy is coming from many people of color, including the many Reyes sees working alongside him on the campaign trail.
“A lot of her campaign staffers are people of color. She’s always been big on that. Even when she first ran, she had women, she’s had Latino men. So she has a big, diverse staff,” he says. “And to me, that just shows the type of person that she is, that she sees that minority people are important.”
Reyes says that, like any political candidate, he realizes that Harris faces questions about her policies and how they’ll differ from both former President Trump and President Biden. He says that to those who would ask why she hasn’t yet made the changes she’s been advocating for even though she’s been in the White House for nearly four years, he’d respond that Biden has been the one in the driver’s seat.
“She’s number two. She’s not the boss. She can only do so much as vice president. Let her get into office first, and then she can finally do what she needs to be done,” Reyes says of Harris. “She’s got to take the back seat to Biden. She does her job, but she has a boss like everybody else.”
Reyes loves his work, but he says he tries not to mix politics with family time, since he has a few Republicans among his relatives.
“I just tell them, ‘I love you. We have different views and that’s OK,’ but I personally believe that my candidate vice president Harris can win in November win against Trump and finally get this country healing,” Reyes explains. “With certain family members, I’ll just keep it separate. As hard as it is, keep it separate. It’s my job, but we’re family at the end of the day. And let’s just keep it going, cast our vote, because that’s what our ancestors fought for, for us to vote in this country. And at the end of the day, we’re going to live with each other and we’re going to support each other and move forward.”
Still, Reyes says he finds it frustrating to see the country more politically divided than it’s ever been. But he’s been impressed with the way Harris has been dismissive of Trump’s criticism of her.
“He takes digs at her all the time on social media and interviews, and Vice President Harris is that the type of woman to she shrug it off,” he says.
Instead, he says, her focus is singularly on being president for all Americans – and that includes members of the nation’s growing Latino population.
“She’s always open to hear what are the concerns with the Latino voters, what affects them, what’s important to them. And she’s always been open to have conversations about what they like to see, what needs to be changed,” says Reyes, who says she’s expected to visit Nevada and Arizona – both states with large Latino populations – in coming weeks.
There’s chatter about her possibly visiting Kansas City soon, too, Reyes says, though he can’t confirm anything. He is, however, happy to see that Kansas City residents throw their support behind Harris.
“I was there recently back home in Kansas City over the weekend, and I’ve seen so many Harris/Walz banners and signs in people’s yards,” Reyes says. “That’s just amazing.”
Jesse Reyes loves his work, but he says he tries not to mix politics with family time, since he has a few Republicans among his relatives. “I just tell them, ‘I love you. We have different views and that’s OK,’ but I personally believe that my candidate Vice President Harris can win in November against Trump and finally get this country healing,” Reyes explains.
