White House hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHundreds of lawyers from nation's oldest African American sorority join effort to fight voter suppression Biden picks up endorsement from progressive climate group 350 Action 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE (D-Calif.) sent out a fundraising email for the South Carolina Democratic Party on Tuesday as she tries to gin up establishment support in a crucial primary state.

Harris, who spoke before the party last month, wrote in the email that while 2020’s main attraction will be the presidential race, local elections still hold weight, citing Republican-led efforts in the Palmetto State such as restricting abortion and maintaining loose gun control laws.

“We’re all focused on getting a new president, and (trust me) I know it’s important, but if we don’t empower and support our local parties, many solutions will remain out of reach for South Carolina’s working families,” Harris wrote. “The South Carolina Democratic Party needs your help to elect candidates that reflect our values.”

Last month, @KamalaHarris spoke to the South Carolina Democratic Party convention and stressed the importance of local parties and electing Dems up and down the ticket.



Today, she becomes the first presidential candidate to send a fundraising email for the SCDP. pic.twitter.com/ZPjzeuRo5e — Jerusalem Demsas (@JerusalemDemsas) July 23, 2019

Jerusalem Demsas, the Harris campaign’s South Carolina communications director, tweeted out the email along with a link to donate directly to the party.

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The email and the campaign’s efforts to amplify it underline the centrality of South Carolina to Harris’s path to the Democratic presidential nomination. Harris, one of three African American candidates in the primary race, is hoping to post a strong showing in an early state where black voters make up roughly 60 percent of the primary electorate.

She is locked in a battle with Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.), the other major black candidate in the race, to boost support among African American voters, though she has consistently lagged behind former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Fox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio MORE among the demographic.

However, the California Democrat has expressed confidence that as she campaigns, she could take a bite out of the support for Biden, who has worked to capitalize on his connection to former President Obama.

“I’m still meeting a lot of people. Vice President Biden has obviously, I think, run for president three times, he was vice president for two terms under a very popular president, President Obama. So he’s well known, and I am still in the process of introducing my work and my plan to voters across the country, and I intend to work very hard to earn the vote and the support of everyone,” she said after last month’s primary debate.

Presidential candidates this cycle have been known to use their email lists to raise funds for advocacy groups and Senate and House candidates, including Planned Parenthood and Amy McGrath, who is challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE (R-Ky.).