Note: The following Faith and Democracy series does not endorse a candidate or party in the upcoming election. Its purpose is to consider the scenarios that could potentially play out if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.  

Vice President Kamala Harris’s Democratic candidacy for president has taken an uncharacteristic path after President Joe Biden dropped his campaign for a second term after the first debate against former President Donald Trump. After a poor debate performance, pressure mounted for Biden to drop out of the race.

Many concerned Democrats cited the president’s aging performance as a reason for the pressure. Biden dropped out in July, endorsing Harris.

Harris secured the nomination while raising record amounts of campaign funds. Coming out of the summer, momentum was on her side, but it has slowed recently as the race tightens approaching Election Day.

After previously imagining what a second Trump presidency would be like, it’s fair to ask what a first Harris presidency would bring. While there seems to be no fear that democracy will fall under a Harris administration, questions linger about serious issues.

Let’s begin with the most important reality of a Harris presidency. If she is elected president, the United States will finally join the global community in electing a female head of state. Harris would join the ranks of Indira Gandhi (1966, India), Margaret Thatcher (Great Britain, 1979), Angela Merkel (Germany, 2005), Jacinda Arden (2017, New Zealand), and so many other remarkable women leaders.

For the first time in U.S. history, little girls and boys may look behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office and see a woman sitting behind it as President of the United States.  The message would be clear and significant: America is the land of opportunity for anyone willing to work hard and put forth the effort.

While this boundary-breaking reality would be significant, there remain some very weighty issues that Harris would need to address. Her agenda will depend on the makeup of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, but the new president must address a list of pressing issues on day one.

The economy remains a massive concern for many Americans. Four years after a global pandemic brought the world to a standstill, inflation has left many families paying higher prices. Harris needs to continue economic policies that target the middle-class and lower-income workers, the backbone of the economy.

The trickle-down economy, which has led to significant tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, is not a just economic system. America needs economic policies that empower the middle class and provide a living wage for all Americans. Jesus advocated for a just economic system in his parable of labors in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16).

Immigration is another issue at stake. While the Harris campaign does not use dehumanizing language when speaking about immigrants, Democratic policies have not been effective in addressing the overarching issues and stopping immigrants from illegally entering the country.

Harris needs to work with Republicans in the House and Senate (as she did in the Biden Administration, which fostered a significant immigration deal that was only to be defeated by Trump’s opposition for political purposes) to revive bipartisan immigration conversations. For people of faith, Jesus was clear on this subject. At an early age, Jesus was an immigrant, so he instructed his followers to welcome the stranger by treating them as a child of God— not a criminal subject to vile behavior (Matthew 25).

Since the fall of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, Harris has been a champion for women’s reproductive health. In states with strict abortion bans, women are dying because of the lack of abortion care. Every woman in America must be given agency over their own body by passing and signing the national protection for reproductive health.

Again, this will depend on the majority in the House and Senate, but Harris could find a path forward to offer protection for women’s rights across the country. If a federal law is not possible, then the Harris Administration will be forced to work to protect U.S. citizen’s rights in states that continue restricting abortion care.

With members of the Supreme Court considering the repeal of Ogbergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that ensured marriage equality for all, Harris and her team will need to work hard to ensure every citizen is afforded the right to be themselves without the dangers of discrimination by their governments or private industries. The LGBTQ+ community has made great strides when it comes to securing their rights, but danger always lurks with rogue states or courts threatening to take those rights away.

Harris will need to continue incentivizing American citizens and corporations regarding climate care. Through grant programs for research and development and tax incentives, the federal government needs to continue its effort to reduce its carbon footprint. We must be a global leader in green technology, demonstrating to the rest of the world that global warming is a significant concern.

Harris will need to strengthen relationships with global allies as the world moves closer and closer to a worldwide conflict. With Russia continuing its invasion of Ukraine and China’s ever-present saber-rattling, the international stage is set for potential war.  Harris and her team must stop authoritarian regimes whenever and wherever possible.

Another international issue is the war in the Middle East. After the October 7 attacks in Israel from Hamas, Israel has responded by creating a humanitarian crisis with a disproportionate bombing campaign, killing over 40,000 Palestinians and invading Palestinian lands. Harris needs to demand a ceasefire immediately and work outward, bringing peace, stability, and justice to the region.  

While Harris must address various other issues, one more needs her attention. If Harris wins the presidency, Christian nationalists are not going away and are growing more militant in their rhetoric and actions. With the January 6 insurrection, they are more inspired than ever to use violence as a political tool.

As recently as this week, FEMA workers in North Carolina were accosted by militia members “hunting” FEMA workers. Harris should create a task force on day one to investigate the movement, as domestic terrorism could become a real threat to the safety of all Americans.

In conjunction with the investigation of militant Christian nationalists, Harris needs to realize that Christian nationalists will move their activities more and more to the states.  Public education, LGBTQ+ rights and voting rights will be frequent targets of supremacists trying to enforce their belief system on others. Harris will need to be aware of this and ready to act on behalf of those citizens.

In conclusion, thinking about the possibility of America’s first female president if Kamala Harris is elected, I am reminded of the words of Coretta Scott King, who said, “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe you must become its soul.” Whether that is Kamala Harris is yet to be determined, but Coretta Scott King’s words ring true. 

One day, America will elect its first female president. When that day comes— now or later— I will be thankful.