Harris, Ossoff Appeal to Students at Clark Atlanta Ahead of Midterms

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff addressed a group of student canvassers at Clark Atlanta University on Thursday. The visit marked the final major Democratic push to mobilize college students before the 2026 midterm election.

Ossoff told the audience that Democrats had already broken historical records for young voter turnout in a Georgia midterm. He framed the upcoming vote as a chance to check the power of the current administration. Harris echoed this sentiment, arguing that the party was necessary to keep President Donald Trump’s policies in check.

"We need Jon back in the United States Senate to hold this administration accountable to the people," Harris said. She described the leadership in Washington, D.C., as displaying a level of brutality she said was unprecedented. Neither candidate named their Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, during the event.

The two Democrats criticized specific policy areas, including tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and the war in Iran. Ossoff told the crowd that consumers were paying more for goods while the president and his family profited. "Now you pay more for everything, the president and his family are lining their pockets to billions of dollars," Ossoff said.

Rep. Mike Collins responded to the Georgia appearance from a campaign stop in Carrollton. He characterized Harris as a failed candidate and vice president who had not visited the border. Collins argued that the Democratic strategy was energizing his base. "That's all you have to say. He brought Kamala Harris in," Collins said to his supporters.

Students leaving the Clark Atlanta University rally prepared to canvass neighborhoods as early voting periods closed. Alexis Taylor, a student volunteer, said the primary goal was ensuring other voters participated. "The message was really about making sure that everybody else gets out to vote," Taylor said.

Harris stayed in the metro Atlanta area for the final day of early voting. She attended an NAACP town hall at Elizabeth Baptist Church later Thursday. She is scheduled to speak at a Fulton County Democrats dinner on Friday night.