Pennsylvania Swifties Organize for Kamala Harris

Swifties have already been organizing en masse in support of Vice President Kamala Harris before their “Fearless” support for the leader on Tuesday. Now, their influence is set to grow — especially in the key swing state where singer Taylor Swift was born.

Swift loyalists have already raised tens of thousands of dollars for Harris’ campaign and voter registration efforts, as well as for the singer’s single Instagram post Tuesday’s endorsement of Harris resulted in hundreds of thousands of registrations across the country.

By embracing the strong bond that comes with their fandom, Swifties are well-positioned to make an impact in Pennsylvania, a key swing state that former President Donald Trump and Harris see as crucial to their paths to the White House. Swifties are multi-generational but skew younger — a voting bloc that is especially important for a Democratic victory, which both candidates have their eyes on.

Michele Ramsey, who teaches Taylor Swift at Pennsylvania State University Berks County Campussaid the biggest impact of Swift’s endorsement isn’t necessarily changing people’s minds, but rather driving engagement and registration, evidenced by Swift’s endorsement post, which drove more than 400,000 visitors to vote.gov in 24 hours. Ramsey, 56, said Swift’s (at least apparent) authenticity was key, and many Swiftties said they appreciated her focus on people doing their own research in her ad, which garnered more than 10 million likes on Instagram.

Ramsey of Reading also believes that attacks on women’s rights by the Republican Party and fasting by conservative tycoon Elon Musk which was portrayed as terrifying motivate the democratically minded Swift even more at a time when “women’s stories are playing a central role in popular culture,” like Swift, Beyoncé, Chappell Roan and the like.

“It seems like a really bad time to tease Swiftie Bear, but they do it,” Ramsey said. “They have a really strong parasocial relationship with Taylor,” she added of Swiftie.

Swifties for Kamala

One group of Swifties formed immediately after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris: Swifties for Kamala (S4K). The group is run entirely by volunteers, including Philadelphia-based digital genius Annie Wu Henry, a political and digital strategist who serves as the group’s campaign manager. Henry previously worked for Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.).

The group’s inaugural Zoom call featured guest speakers including singer-songwriter Carole King, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Pennsylvania Swiftie Rep. Chris DeluzioDemocrat from the Pittsburgh area. More than 20,000 people watched the broadcast.

“We are fully aware of the important role Pennsylvania plays in this election cycle,” said Henry, who grew up in central Pennsylvania.

While she didn’t share many details about state-by-state plans, she said the group will work to “activate the community” to mobilize within the community.

But the group has already found success, and Pennsylvanians play a bigger role in it than Swifties from other undecided states.

The group counted nearly 100,000 “actions,” which it classifies as checking registration, registering to vote or creating a voting plan, Henry said.

Nearly 80% of those 100,000 actions were taken by Gen Z and millennial voters, Henry said. And of those actions, 33% occurred in swing states, including more than 7% in Pennsylvania, the highest rate among swing states.

In a Discord group chat with over 3,500 people nicknamed Swifties, S4K identified over 185 people living in Pennsylvania.

S4K almost $165,000 raised to Harris’ campaign through ActBlue and more than $13,000 to voter-registration and registration groups through the group’s merchandise sales. S4K also has more than 7,000 email newsletter subscribers.

The group’s efforts are for Swifties, by Swifties. Its custom merchandise was designed by Swiftie and is sold through Social Goods, whose founders are part of the fandom.

The group encourages its members to get involved in the elections by lottery to win tickets to Swift’s Eras Tour through Fan Out, a company also created by Swiftie. People are receiving entries asking friends to check their voter registration and create voting plans, as well as more entries if they’re in a swing state.

Morgan Strehlow, S4K Managing Literary Agent Threads account, said she’s impressed by the young fans taking over the movement, most of whom are in their 20s and a few in their 30s. Strehlow, 34, revised the mission statement, which was drafted by college students when she first got involved.

“Since then, a lot of really impressive people have gotten involved,” she said.

Strehlow believes the group’s ability to weave Swift references into campaign discourse makes politics more accessible. For example, she managed to break the ice by discussing political themes in Swift’s songs with her younger sister, a friend of Swift’s with whom she wouldn’t typically discuss politics.

“It gave me the ability to comfortably start a conversation with someone in my life who I would otherwise have a hard time talking to,” she said.

“Support got me out of this state”

Bryn Mawr resident Lisa Green, 23, who works as a civil servant and matchmaker, said Swift’s endorsement inspired her to start sharing her political views online again. Green was an outspoken, politically engaged teen, but in 2020, she became withdrawn, afraid to speak out in the face of growing polarization.

“That support kind of snapped me out of it,” she said.

Green said she sees a lot of similarities between Harris and Swift.

“They both just make me feel so strong as a woman, and they both uplift community and friendship and compassion,” she said, adding that both make her feel like her beliefs “are worthy of being proud of and fighting for.”

Other Swifties have come together in Pennsylvania, like Katie Lehatto-Kopcik, 43, who created a Facebook group for Swiftie Harris supporters in Berks County. The Sinking Spring resident just started the group with a few friends, and it now has 368 members (though not all are Pennsylvanians). She described the group as a small community for sharing ideas, joys and frustrations.

“I’m a nurse, I’m a mom. I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said. “I just organized it all and people started coming in.”

A local Democratic leader saw the group, and now Swiftie is a member of the local Democratic committee. She shares local events with group members, such as a friendship bracelet-making event organized by the Democratic Party to support U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan and Harris.

“We don’t all participate in everything, but we all participate in something,” she said.

Gena Jaffe, a business owner and attorney who lives in Newtown, hung a Swifties for Kamala sign in her Bucks County neighborhood, which is otherwise dotted with Trump signs. Jaffe, 39, took it upon herself to plan a fundraiser for Harris in the form of a comedy show that also featured Harris-themed Swiftie friendship bracelets. Although she’s too busy to plan another one, she said the last-minute plan brought in 40 people and raised more than $2,000 for Harris’ campaign.

For some, mixed feelings

Swift’s endorsement left some supporters shocked, particularly in the LGBT community, who felt betrayed by photos of her embracing former football player Brittany Mahomes, who went viral for “liking” Trump’s Instagram platform and was praised by Trump as a “gigantic MAGA fan.”

Sophia Schiaroli, a 25-year-old Philadelphia resident, LGBTQ content creator, and Swift fan, was heartbroken by Swift’s support.

“I am overjoyed and happy that she endorsed Kamala, but I will never forget how I felt when she was silent for so long and did not speak out on so many issues that she now has the opportunity to speak out on,” Schiaroli wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.

Some thought Swift was waiting for the end of the European leg of her Eras tour after her concert was attacked by a terrorist.

Schiaroli attended Harris’ campaign event at the Cherry Street Pier on the night of the debate—the same one Harris dropped in on as a surprise. Also in attendance was Bridget McFadden, a 29-year-old content creator from Philadelphia who focuses on comedy and Taylor Swift content.

Both excitedly posted in support of Swift on Tuesday night. Harris’ campaign also embraced it, playing Swift’s “The Man” as she left the stage and mass-marketing Swiftie-style friendship bracelets.

McFadden previously posted a video of Gov. Josh Shapiro asking him whether he preferred Beyoncé or Swift. Apparently paralyzed by the decision, went with Swift, who is from Berks County. Shapiro praised the singer’s support this week, saying: NewsNation that she’s in her “Speak Now era” and that “the fact that she’s speaking out is a fucking gigantic deal.”

McFadden thinks it’s easy to connect Swift’s fandom to Harris’ because the West Reading native “has always been an advocate for women’s rights and being a strong woman,” she said. She said some of Swift’s music and the Eras tour itself are “just very girl power.”

“You can feel it, and I think it’s just very fitting that it’s — it’s time. We need, we want, women in the office now,” McFadden said.

She suggested listening to “Only the Young,” one of Swift’s most political songs.