WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as their likely presidential nominee on Sunday after President Joe Biden made the landmark decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, an unstable and rapidly changing political situation just months before the November election.
Shortly after Biden stepped down, he issued a sturdy endorsement of Harris, who would make history as the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to become a major party’s presidential nominee. Additional endorsements came from former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the first major female presidential candidate, as well as prominent U.S. senators, a wide range of House Democrats and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.
Potential challengers to the office immediately became Harris supporters.
As Democrats prepare to face Republican Donald Trump in the fall, Biden said choosing Harris as his vice president was his first and “best decision.” “Let’s do it,” he said.
“My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement.
Nevertheless, the political and logistical situation for the Democrats remains somewhat uncertain. The party, which had actually expected to go into the November elections by portraying Trump as a quasi-authoritarian leader and a threat to American democracy, must now reshuffle its list of candidates in just a few weeks – before the nominating convention begins on August 19.
It seems as though more and more voices are forming in favor of making Harris the party leader – within a few hours, Biden’s campaign team formally changed its name to “Harris for President,” which expresses that she is taking over his political leadership. However, there are well-known opponents of the party.
Former President Barack Obama and Democratic Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi are widely seen as masterminding Biden’s withdrawal from the race because they fear not only for the White House but also for the majority in Congress. They have not explicitly endorsed Harris, and Pelosi favors open primaries to strengthen an eventual nominee.
And West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party earlier this year to become an independent, is considering re-registering as a Democrat to run against the vice president for the nomination, according to his longtime adviser Jonathan Kott.
Leading Democrats believe Harris would benefit from a “mini-primary.” They argue that a quick primary would show the American people, party donors and skeptics that Harris is the best for the job and give potential contenders a chance to make a case for themselves – or at least to run as potential running mate.
Harris made calls to members of Congress slow in the day, garnering support, including from New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a moderate faction in the U.S. Congress that endorsed Harris on Sunday.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison promised a “transparent and orderly process.”
With early voting starting in a few months, Democrats have no time to waste if they are to prevail against an energized GOP that welcomes Trump’s return. They must pivot quickly to unify the shaken Democratic Party, refocus the entire campaign apparatus on a up-to-date presidential candidacy and organize the grassroots campaign to get voters to the polls.
Trump’s team faces a challenge of its own, directing its relentless attacks – of Biden’s age (81), his stamina and his ability to govern – at a yet-to-be-named Democratic nominee who is increasingly likely to be Harris. Among the top potential candidates, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she will not run, and Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina endorsed Harris on Sunday.
“She has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country with care and integrity,” Cooper said on social media.
Even before Biden’s announcement, Republicans had hinted at their strategy to hold Harris complicit despite his blunders, accusing her of sticking with him, and are working on legal challenges to the 2024 election.
“Not only would Harris be a disaster in the White House, but she has also helped Biden cover up his deteriorating health during his time in office, destroying her credibility,” said a statement from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and his co-chair Lara Trump.
Despite Biden’s support for Harris, there has been a lively debate about her rise among Democratic heavyweights – lawmakers, deep-pocketed donors and former senior officials from the Biden, Obama and Clinton administrations, according to a Democrat with close ties to the Biden-Harris administration.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, said a mini-primary would aid Harris cement her reputation as a sturdy, sharp-witted candidate and mitigate criticism that she was selected undemocratically – something the Trump team has already sought to exploit against her.
But a number of Democratic allies and lawmakers who immediately supported Harris for the nomination say it is untenable for the party to ignore her historic candidacy.
Washington Senator Patty Murray said she was “100 percent” behind Harris. Virginia Senator Mark Warner said Harris “has the experience, energy and determination to lead our nation.” Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said he would “enthusiastically support my friend.”
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and California Senator Laphonza Butler also said they would support Harris, who had served as a U.S. senator, as did a growing number of Democratic members of the House of Representatives.
Other Democrats, however, have not commented on their support for Harris or their push for an open trial.
Democratic Senator Peter Welch of Vermont said in an interview with the Associated Press that he believes the party must “first and foremost decide who can best represent them so that we can defeat Trump.”
Donors are also speaking out. Chad Griffin, a member of the campaign’s national finance committee and one of the top Democratic fundraisers in the Los Angeles area, said the party is lucky to have Harris. “She is the trusted, proven leader we need to lead us to victory in November,” he said in a statement.
The Democratic Party convention in Chicago, which was originally intended to be Biden’s coronation, is now turning into an open contest in which nearly 4,700 delegates will be tasked with electing a up-to-date candidate.
Biden won all of the state primaries and caucuses earlier this year, losing only the territory of American Samoa. At least 3,896 delegates have pledged their support for him.
Current party rules do not allow Biden to pass it on to another candidate. However, politically, his support is likely to have a major impact.
The immediate burden is on Harris to secure the support of the nearly 4,000 delegates from the states, territories and the District of Columbia, as well as the more than 700 so-called superdelegates, who include party leaders, certain elected officials and former presidents and vice presidents.
__ Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this story.
