Amid intense rhetoric surrounding the options for President Joe Biden’s replacement atop the Democratic ticket, numerous media outlets have been underestimating the campaign strength of Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans will make a mistake, though, if they fail to understand the organizing power of an enthused Democratic Party.

Granted, reviews of Harris’s performance as vice president, when she is visible at all, have been almost universally bad. She has remained largely under the radar since the beginning of the presidency. This has followed the pattern of most vice presidents, though, unless you count Dick Cheney, who made news for shooting someone in a hunting accident.  

Since Biden’s withdrawal, however, Democrats have rallied very quickly to support Harris. A group called Win With Black Women held a Zoom meeting on July 21 to back her. The call originally was set for a maximum of 1,000 people. Almost immediately, though, more than that number tried to sign up, so organizers turned to the Zoom CEO to help. In the end, 40,000 people joined the call, which lasted for over four hours. It is crucial to recognize the power of this coalition. 

That group alone raised more than a million dollars in less than three hours.  

Democratic donations have skyrocketed in the hours since Harris became the party’s presumptive nominee. Early reports show she raised $47 million in the first seven hours after her campaign announcement. This is the biggest fundraising day ever recorded through ActBlue. ActBlue released the donor heat map, and the donations have increased from solid red and purple states. Republicans must prepare to run against an energized Democratic Party.

Republicans must recognize the Democrats’ adeptness in coalition-building. Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) participated in the Win With Black Women call. Other notable attendees included Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks, activist Bernice King, singer Jenifer Lewis, co-founder of Black Voters Matter LaTosha Brown, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority President Danette Anthony Reed, National Council of Negro Women President Shavon Arline-Bradley, SiriusXM host Reecie Colbert, Angela Rye, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority President Stacie N.C. Grant. 

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To counteract the new Democratic enthusiasm, Republicans will need to compete actively in this election, rallying voters to turn out at levels similar to the 2010 midterm elections, when the Tea Party emerged in response to then-President Barack Obama’s first term. While being out-funded may seem daunting initially, the Trump campaign must match this with equal intensity. Republicans must not only bolster their donor base, but their campaign should leverage volunteers throughout every stage of the process. The crucial point is for former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, to maintain visibility as a rational alternative to the perceived chaos of the Democratic Party.

Despite the mess, Trump and Vance are underestimating the Democratic Party. They have to adapt to win.