Near a polling location on the Tempe campus, actors Jason Winston George, KaDee Strickland and Kim Raver from "Grey’s Anatomy" and "Private Practice" mobilized young voters at a Harris-Walz pop-up event.
The actors used their platforms to support the Democratic presidential candidate — stressing the need for students to vote in Arizona and connecting union rights and reproductive care to the Harris-Walz campaign. The event took place outside the 75-foot perimeter around the Tempe campus polling location at 11 a.m. on Monday.
George, Strickland and Raver said they valued the opportunity to endorse the Democratic campaign and put more eyes on on relevant issues this election season.
"Our job description is great, and I'm so thrilled and blessed to be in people's homes with them when they have their wind down at the end of the day, or they identify with a character I've played," said Strickland, who played Dr. Charlotte King on "Private Practice." "But at the end of the day, we're just voters, and we care."
Celebrities have made frequent appearances in Arizona ahead of the general election in November, including Bryan Cranston’s Saturday appearance with First Lady Jill Biden and America Ferrera's visit in late September.
READ MORE: First Lady Jill Biden, Bryan Cranston stop by Arizona for reproductive freedom bus tour
READ MORE: America Ferrera visits Tempe for Harris-Walz event, speaks on mobilizing young voters
Raver, who played Dr. Teddy Altman on "Grey's Anatomy," said Vice President Kamala Harris would protect the reproductive and voting rights that she and her family value.
"It's an honor and a privilege to be able to use that voice that I have from Hollywood and to try to put it in the most supportive way that I can for our future generations," Raver said.
The actors also discussed their stance on unions and how either campaign may affect unions come this November. George, who played Dr. Ben Warren on "Grey's Anatomy," is also a board member of SAG-AFTRA, an entertainment union representing nearly 160,000 entertainers. He said his history with the union cemented his stance on Harris and Walz's connection to labor rights.
"People get upset when people actually unite, and that's upsetting to me," George said. "Kamala Harris gets the labor movement. Tim Walz gets the labor movement, and it's about protecting individuals where they live."
He said his mother was the president of the teachers' union where he grew up in Virginia, and the Democratic party has consistently been a prominent supporter of labor rights.
When George spoke near the polling station, he compared students engaged in politics to the founding fathers, illustrating the demand for students to engage in politics and voting.
"They were actually 20-somethings full of passion (in) what they believed was right, and that's what always comes out of every college campus, but especially ASU," George said.
Strickland, Raver and George said the Arizona vote is vital for the election and students should be aware of their value this November in a "battleground state."
One of those students was Dallas Salas, a graduate student studying healthcare innovation. Last year he graduated from ASU at age 18 with an undergraduate bachelor's degree in neuroscience. He said George and Raver both went above his expectations when he met them this Monday.
"It's cool to have an actual, somewhat 'relationship' with that person that you've been idolizing for so long," Salas said. "It means a lot, because you know that they're actually in the community; they're actually caring about these issues."
Salas' mother, Constance Salas, said George was a huge influence on her son growing up.
Constance Salas said they would watch "Grey’s Anatomy" together. She would ask him about different diagnoses the characters were making on-screen, and she would give him assignments to teach him medical terminology.
"Part of his success is due to 'Grey's Anatomy,'" Constance Salas said. "Them being here today really was meaningful because he was able to see someone that he looked at and looked up to on the screen."
In Tempe, students can find the campus polling location at the Sun Devil Fitness Center on 400 E. Apache Blvd. Students can also request to vote through a mail-in ballot, according to the ASU website.
Matthew Marengo contributed to this story.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Ramirez and Alexis Heichman.
Reach the reporter at gheadle@asu.edu and @George_Headley7 on X.
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George is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is his third semester with The State Press. He has also worked at Times Media Group.
