(VOR News) – The vice president, Kamala Harris, is trying harder to win over members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She is rallying prominent followers of the faith in Arizona, a critical state, to back her assertion that Donald Trump does not align with the organization’s principles.

According to her state campaign on Thursday, the formation of an advisory board formalised the outreach to both present and former members of the religion, frequently referred to as the Mormon church.

It’s conceivable that Latter-day Kamala Harris Saints and former church members will prove to be significant in what is anticipated to be an extremely close race. Approximately 450,000 people attend church in Arizona, which is 6% of the state’s entire population.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members are very inclined to stick with the Republican alliance. They have long been a significant influence in Republican primaries and Western regional politics, and they are primarily found in states with sizable majorities of Republicans.

However, Kamala Harris hasn’t influenced national elections.

According to AP VoteCast, nearly 90% of Mormon voters worldwide backed Donald Trump in the 2020 election, while over 25% backed Democrat Joe Biden.

Part of Kamala Harris’ approach is to prevent Trump from obtaining meaningful leads among the demographic groups that he supports.

Although it is highly improbable that she would receive even a small portion of the votes voted by Latter-day Saints, a small proportion would still be enough to make a significant difference in a state where recent elections have been close.

In the 2020 election, Biden won by almost 10,500 votes. The Democratic candidate for attorney general in 2022, Kris Mayes, won by a slim margin of 280 votes.

Supporters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona subscribe to the church doctrine that the US Constitution was inspired by God. They make a faith-based plea, persuading voters to support the Democratic ticket despite their misgivings.

Joel John, a former state legislator for the Republican party, will serve as co-chair of the organisation.

“The Constitution is a tenet of our faith, and we certainly shouldn’t be voting for people who have shown disdain for it,” John stated. John will also serve on the committee. We should give absolutely no assistance at all to someone who attempted to overthrow the government on January 6.

However, Kamala Harris and John stated that it is the policy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to back candidates who are “good, honest, and wise.”

The church is located in Salt Lake City, although it does not endorse any political parties or politicians. The assumption was made that these moral attributes, which they believed Trump lacked, outweighed any intellectual differences they might have with Kamala Harris over issues like her economic ideas or her stance on gun ownership.

It has been tough for Trump to win over Latter-day Saints, despite the fact that many of his conservative religious supporters have progressively warmed up to him.

Trump’s practice of using profanity and disparaging language towards women and people of colour offends a lot of churchgoers because it contradicts the moral values, humility, and compassion that the church espouses.

However, it hasn’t helped that Trump is an opponent of two of Kamala Harris’ most well-known practitioners of the faith:

Kamila Harris Utah Senator Mitt Romney with former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake.

A significant portion of the population in the East Valley of metro Phoenix, which is located in the state of Arizona, belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this suburban area, voters of all stripes have voiced their displeasure with Republicans who support Trump, contributing to the transformation of a state that has traditionally been a Republican bastion into a battleground.

Mesa, home to almost 500,000 people, is the third-biggest city in Arizona. Its present history begins with a community established in the 1800s by churchgoers who were pioneers.

Furthermore, churchgoers colonised a significant portion of rural Arizona, and as a result, their descendants continue to have strong links to the area.

Converting Latter-day Saints has always been a goal of the Democratic Party. In 2016, Hillary Clinton made a comparison between President Trump’s promise to forbid Muslim immigration and the long history of religious persecution experienced by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additionally, four years later, Biden made an investment in a religious membership organization—exactly what Kamala Harris is attempting to achieve now.

Brittany Romanello, an anthropologist and post-doctoral fellow at Arizona State University, says Kamala Harris has an especially high chance of winning over younger Latter-day Saints, despite the significant “social expectations” that followers of the faith associate with conservatives.

The greater variety of both the country as a whole and younger Latter-day Saints is the cause of this. She has conducted a study on Latter-day Saint identity and culture.

Romanello no longer attends church services, despite having grown up in one. According to studies he cited, Mormons think voting is about more than just supporting their political party. Their morals are the basis for their voting.

SOURCE: AP

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(VOR News) – Reactions from several Democrats overnight followed the news that the Teamsters, under General President Sean O’Brien, had decided against receiving a presidential endorsement.

“Sadly, neither major candidate was able to make significant pledges to our union to guarantee that working people’s interests always come first,” O’Brien said in a statement.

Native Boston-area Congressman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., called former President Donald Trump the “most anti-labor president we have ever had.” O’Brien hails from the Boston area as well.

“It’s clear that these workers are misinformed or ignorant about Trump’s record on labour,” McGovern said to the Washington Times. “His loyalty isn’t to working people.”

Leading Democrat on the House Rules Committee McGovern said unequivocally that Trump supports “rich people” above the working class.

The Teamsters have never released a non-endorsement since the 1996 contest between Republican Kansas senator Bob Dole and former President Bill Clinton. Former President George H.W. Bush, who beat Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, received last support from the GOP in 1988.

Democrat from Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford tweeted that Harris’ tie-breaking Senate vote was taken “to protect Teamsters’ pensions.”

Horsford said Nevada Teamsters councils backed Harris without national approval.

“She’s defending us,” said Horsford. Concurrent with Horsford, Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., said the Teamsters in the Silver State “know that Kamala Harris is a fighter for our union workers.”

“I learned it from my father, a Teamster in Las Vegas: when we stand together, we win,” Cortez-Masto said. Former Democratic California House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meantime, called the Teamsters’ choice “disappointing.”

More Trump turned down backing a Teamsters pension bill. Biden- Harris and Democrats saved Teamsters pensions in the Butch Lewis Act of our American Rescue Plan without a single Republican vote, she said on X, the former Twitter platform.

Still, Trump called Harris’ lack of endorsement a “great honour” for him.

“They will not support the Democrats. It’s a significant matter,” Trump said in his campaign in New York City. The internal Teamsters ballot indicates that the GOP candidate has over 60% of the organization’s total membership supporting him.

Prominent progressive in Congress Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington called the non-endorsement “unfortunate” but pointed out that Harris is still backed by the Evergreen State’s sub-council.

“I think you’ll see more Teamsters nationwide,” she told the Times.

Democrat from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shot O’Brien more directly, saying that the national head has been “boosting Republicans all year while supporting anti-worker, anti-choice Senate candidates.”

The BBC claims that O’Brien has allegedly spoken with a couple Republican senators, including JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Still, Hawley lately had support from the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation union.

Still, the organization did endorse two candidates for U.S. Senate: D-Ariz. Representative Ruben Gallego and D-Calif. Representative Adam Schiff.

According to a statement taken from many sources, Harris “literally walked the picket line,” while Trump believes striking staff should be sacked.

Lauren Hitt said, “The Vice President’s strong union record is why Teamsters locals across the country have already endorsed her — alongside the overwhelming majority of organised labour.”

In response, a council in Pennsylvania, a pivotal swing state with 35,000 Teamsters, ignored O’Brien’s lack of support and backed Harris.

Harris was unanimously chosen by the Teamsters Joint Council 40 board, representing Pittsburgh, Erie, State College, and Washington, on a separate vote.

Council president Carl Bailey said Pittsburgh Tribune-Review “she is the best for our locals and the best for our unions.”

During a 2023 hearing, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma and O’Brien nearly got into a physical fight; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., had to intervene after Mullin got up from his chair following the two men’s yells at each other to “stand your butt up.” This indicates O’Brien’s ease with sparring Republicans.

SOURCE: FN

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Los Angeles — Anna Sorokin, a convicted con artist, appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” with a featherweight — and extremely glittery — ankle monitor.

The so-called ‘fake heiress,’ who was convicted of swindling banks, hotels, and friends in 2019 after fraudulently claiming to be a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, debuted the ballroom-worthy ankle monitor during the launch of “Dancing With the Stars'” new season Tuesday night.

“It’s not a huge deal at all. It’s quite light, and I asked them to tighten it so it doesn’t droop. So it’s not too horrible,” she told The Associated Press following the premiere. She and professional dancer Ezra Sosa performed a routine to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”

‘Fake Heiress’ Anna Sorokin Debuts On ‘Dancing With The Stars’ — With A Sparkly Ankle Monitor

“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa said of Sorokin’s glittering ankle monitor.

“I think it’s kind of funny how people like — it’s not like an ankle weight,” Sosa told reporters. “It’s not like twenty pounds. It’s literally less than a pound, so it’s no big issue.”

Sorokin recognized that her debut did not go as expected.

“I feel relieved that it’s over,” she stated. “I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.”

Sorokin expressed optimism that viewers will be forgiving despite her criminal history.

“Hopefully, people will give me a chance to demonstrate what I can do. “And I served my sentence and paid my restitution,” she claimed.

‘Fake Heiress’ Anna Sorokin Debuts On ‘Dancing With The Stars’ — With A Sparkly Ankle Monitor

Early fan reactions were negative, with the phrase “Anna Delvey’s Lacklustre DWTS Debut” trending on social media site X.

She was released from prison in February 2021, but immigration authorities apprehended her immediately after, stating she had overstayed her visa and needed to be repatriated to her native Germany. The “Inventing Anna” inspiration was in ICE custody for more than a year before a judge paved the way for her to be transferred to house confinement in October 2022 while fighting deportation.

Her parole conditions had to be modified to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.

SOURCE | AP