© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Harris will spend election night at Howard University, the HBCU that helped shape her

Vice President Harris takes the stage at a rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Oct. 30, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski
/
AFP
Vice President Harris takes the stage at a rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Oct. 30, 2024.

Vice President Harris will spend election night at her alma mater, Howard University, the historically Black college in Washington that she has said had a big impact on her identity and her desire to become a lawyer.

The location was confirmed to NPR by a person familiar with her plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement.

Howard is where Harris first ran a campaign, as a freshman class representative, and where she pledged her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. When Harris launched her presidential campaign in 2019, she made the announcement formally from Howard. She also camped out at Howard for debate prep in August.

“I have so many fond memories as a student at “The Mecca,” Harris wrote, referring to the school’s nickname in a letter she wrote this month to the student newspaper, the Hilltop. “I recognize that Howard shaped me into the person I am today.”

Harris is the first vice president to be an HBCU alum, and would make history as the first president to be a graduate if she wins.

Former President Donald Trump will have a watch party at a convention center in West Palm Beach, Fla., his campaign has said.

The results of the election may not be called on Tuesday night as ballot counting in this close race could take several days, as it did four years ago. It’s unclear where Harris will plan to spend the days following Election Day at Howard.

Her campaign, though, is preparing for several outcomes, including the chance that former President Trump tries to challenge the election results if Harris is the winner.

“We have certainly a lot of resources that are dedicated to that possibility, knowing he’s done it before,” Harris said to WISN-12, a local news station in Milwaukee Tuesday night.

When asked to expand on what she meant, the vice president said, “I mean we got a lot of lawyers.”

Copyright 2024 NPR

Deepa Shivaram
Deepa Shivaram is a multi-platform political reporter on NPR's Washington Desk.