As Vice President Kamala Harris shifts toward the political center in her presidential campaign, one of her closest allies, Lateefah Simon, is embracing her progressive roots in her run for Congress. While Harris once publicly supported Simon, she has remained notably quiet as her protégé campaigns on a far-left platform, including her involvement in the “defund the police” movement.
At a glance:
- Simon, a longtime Harris ally and advocate for progressive causes, is running for Congress but has not received Harris’s public endorsement.
- Harris, once a vocal supporter of Simon, is taking a more moderate stance in her own presidential run, potentially distancing herself from Simon’s progressive views.
- Simon is favored to win the Oakland congressional seat but faces criticism over her involvement in policies linked to Oakland’s rising crime rates.
Lateefah Simon, who has a long personal and political history with Harris, is running to replace Rep. Barbara Lee in Congress. Unlike Harris, Simon proudly stands by her progressive credentials, including her involvement in criminal justice reform and defunding the police. Simon’s candidacy has drawn sharp criticism from opponents, who argue that her policies have contributed to Oakland’s crime problems.
Kamala Harris’ protégé Lateefah Simon will likely win the federal congressional seat representing the East Bay in the elections this November.
Simon has campaigned on defunding the police throughout her career. Using her positions at the head of a nonprofit and on the board of… pic.twitter.com/sYEn0XdSYF
— Pirate Wires (@PirateWires) June 11, 2024
Harris, who officiated Simon’s wedding and mentored her for over two decades, has not endorsed her former protégé—perhaps a sign that aligning with Simon could harm her own chances of appealing to moderate voters. While Harris once worked closely with Simon in her San Francisco days, her current campaign rhetoric suggests a desire to distance herself from the progressive causes she once supported.
The Faces Behind Progressive Agenda
Simon’s campaign for Congress, quite audaciously, pivots on weakening law enforcement structures. Backed by anti-police mega-donors, she leads organizations like the Akonadi Foundation, determined to diminish police power. Long aided by figures like Quinn Delaney and Patty Quillin, Simon has the financial clout to challenge paradigms. The pressing question arises: will these progressive allies shield potential vulnerabilities in public safety as they champion systemic change?
“This call for defunding and abolishing — it really means defund and abolish the way we did things before,” Simon is on the record as having said.
Despite Harris’s firm anti-crime posture historically, her association with donors keen on redefining law enforcement prompts speculation. It remains a bold yet paradoxical stance that could very well swap lawful order with organized chaos.
Spread this article to everyone in the East Bay! The people need to know what a dangerous puppet for billionaires that @LateefahSimon will be in Congress. https://t.co/9KHE1sI8nW
— Dr. Jennifer Tran (@DrJenniferTran) October 21, 2024
Reality Check Against Imagined Reform
The very public that Simon claims she will protect with reformed policing policies has expressed apprehensions. A 2023 poll showed prevailing unease in the Bay Area’s transit systems. Half the riders have witnessed crimes, with a striking 85% yearning for enhanced safety and cleanliness. This public sentiment seemingly contradicts the retreat of traditional policing advocated by Simon’s imagery-fueled, reformist agenda.
It’s no wonder Harris is distancing herself from this…interesting…woman.