At the National Urban League Conference on July 31, former Vice President Kamala Harris urged Democrats to consider major institutional changes — revisiting the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court to 13 justices, and pursuing statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C. — as part of a strategy to counter what she described as Republican "cheating." Harris emphasized being "ruthless" in defending democracy while clarifying she did not mean acting cruelly or illegally. Her remarks followed the 2024 election, in which the Democratic ticket lost the Electoral College 312–226.
Kamala Harris Urges Major Electoral Overhaul: Revisit Electoral College, Expand Supreme Court, Consider Statehood
Kamala Harris Reveals Her Master Plan for Democrats to Beat ‘Cheating’ Republicans: ‘This Is Going To Be Controversial…’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris laid out a three-part blueprint for Democrats to respond to what she called Republican attempts to "cheat," urging a candid national conversation about major institutional reforms. Speaking at the National Urban League Conference on July 31 in Nashville, Harris said the party should consider revisiting the Electoral College, expanding the U.S. Supreme Court, and pursuing statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Harris framed the proposals as difficult and controversial but argued they are worth debating after the 2024 election. "I know this is going to be controversial coming from me in particular — we need to revisit the Electoral College," she said, drawing applause from the audience.
"In light of and in this environment where they are cheating, we will be too big to rig. Too big to rig," Harris said. "It means being ruthless — they are ruthless! We need to be ruthless too."
She clarified what she meant by "ruthless": not cruel or illegal, but determined and uncompromising in defending democratic institutions. Harris called for open discussion of expanding the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices — adding four seats — and noted the symmetry with the nation's 13 federal appellate circuits as a rationale for the number.
Harris also recommended debating statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., arguing that adding states would change the political landscape and representation in Congress. She referenced the 2024 results to underline her point: the Democratic ticket lost the Electoral College 312–226, while the Republican ticket won roughly 77.3 million votes to the Democrats' roughly 75 million.
Harris's remarks reflect growing calls among some Democrats to consider structural reforms to the U.S. political system. She stressed that any changes should remain within the law and respect democratic norms while allowing the party to pursue more assertive strategies.
Source: Remarks at the National Urban League Conference (July 31); coverage via Fox Nashville and Mediaite.
Help us improve.
