Kamala Harris / X/@naturbanleague

Former Vice President Kamala Harris on July 31 urged Democrats to focus on voter turnout in the 2026 midterm elections rather than efforts to immediately revive the Voting Rights Act, saying the current Congress is unlikely to restore the landmark law.

Speaking at the National Urban League's annual conference in Nashville on July 31, Harris said, "Registering folks to vote and having an agenda that is about turning out the vote in the greatest numbers we have ever seen so that, in light of and in this environment where they are cheating, we will be too big to rig."

Also Read: The road to 2028: Polling, battleground realities, and evolving coalitions

The National Urban League conference, held at Nashville's Music City Center, brought together civil rights leaders, policymakers and advocates to discuss racial justice, economic opportunity, democracy and voting rights. 

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During a conversation with National Urban League President Marc Morial, Harris criticized recent court rulings, Republican-led redistricting efforts and the Trump administration while outlining what she said should be the Democratic Party's priorities heading into the midterm elections.

Focus on 2026 elections

Harris said she does not believe reviving the Voting Rights Act is achievable in the near term and urged voting rights advocates to concentrate on protecting access to the ballot instead.

"I honestly don't believe that it will be anytime soon that we are going to revive the Voting Rights Act," she said. "I don't believe that it's going to be the best use of our energy right now to try to get that done because I don't know that it's going to get done right now the way this Congress is composed and the way they have been treating civil rights issues."

Instead, Harris called for what she described as a more practical strategy, urging voters to check their registration status, verify polling locations and guard against voter roll purges.

She also encouraged Democrats to be "ruthless" in pursuing electoral victories, clarifying that she meant being uncompromising rather than breaking the law or acting cruelly.

Harris sharply criticized the Supreme Court's Callais decision and Tennessee's congressional redistricting, arguing that the ruling enabled racially discriminatory maps.

"They backdoored racism through politics in that decision," she said, warning that minority communities risk losing meaningful representation in Congress.

Calls for court expansion

Looking beyond the midterms, Harris argued that Democrats should pursue structural reforms if they regain control of Congress.

"We need to revisit the point of expanding the court to 13 justices like we have 13 district courts," she said.

She also called for revisiting the Electoral College, exploring statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., and strengthening accountability for judicial nominees appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Asked about speculation surrounding a possible 2028 presidential campaign, Harris declined to discuss future plans, saying, "2028 will not matter if we don't win 2026."

She said she is "fully sincerely focused on these midterms" and has not made a decision about her political future.

Trump administration

Harris also criticized President Donald Trump's domestic and foreign policies, describing the U.S. military action involving Iran as "a war of choice" undertaken without a clearly defined national security objective.

"This war is a war of choice... with no clear national security issue for us," she said, arguing that resources should instead address Americans' healthcare, housing and childcare needs.

On foreign policy, Harris said the United States had become "less reliable as a partner" under Trump, criticizing the administration's approach to alliances and the dismantling of USAID.

Asked what makes an effective president, Harris said leadership should be rooted in service rather than self-interest.

"One of the most important qualities of a leader who can make decisions that impact other people is the kind of leader who is more concerned with looking at the people than looking in the mirror," she said. "It is not about you. It is about service."

She added that empathy, integrity and honesty are essential qualities of leadership and later praised Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama for expanding government's role in protecting public welfare and civil rights.

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