Democrats are rallying around Harris as she vows to ‘earn and win’ party nomination for president
WASHINGTON—Democrats quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as their likely presidential nominee Sunday after President Joe Biden ‘s ground-shaking decision to bow out of the 2024 race, a volatile fast-moving political situation just months before the November election.
Shortly after Biden stepped aside he firmly endorsed Harris, who would make history as the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman to become a major party’s presidential nominee. Other endorsements flowed from former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the first major female presidential nominee, and prominent U.S. senators, a wide swath of House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.
Would-be challengers for the job became instant Harris supporters.
As Democrats organize to confront Republican Donald Trump this fall, Biden said choosing Harris as his vice president had been the first and “best decision” he made.
“Let’s do this,” he said.
“My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris declared in a statement.
Yet, the political and logistical situation ahead for Democrats remains somewhat uncertain as the party that had expected to sail to November’s election portraying Trump as a quasi-authoritarian leader and threat to American democracy, now must rearrange the top of its ticket in a matter of weeks—before the party’s nominating convention begins Aug. 19.
A groundswell appeared to be gathering for Harris to lead the party—within hours Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation—but there are notable holdouts.
Former President Barack Obama and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who are widely seen as engineering Biden’s withdrawal from the race as they worried about not only keeping the White House but winning control of Congress, did not explicitly endorse Harris, and Pelosi favors an open primary to strengthen an eventual nominee.
And West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party earlier this year to become an independent, is considering reregistering as a Democrat to vie for the nomination against the vice president, according to his longtime adviser Jonathan Kott.
Key Democrats believe Harris would benefit from what some call a “mini-primary.” They argue a fast primary campaign would showcase to the American people, party donors and skeptics that Harris is best for the job, and give wouldbe contenders a chance to compete—or at least debut as potential running mates.
Harris was making calls late in the day to congressional lawmakers and racking up support, including from Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a moderate caucus on Capitol Hill, who endorsed Harris Sunday.
Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison promised a “transparent and orderly process.”
With early voting underway in a matter of months, Democrats have no time to spare if they hope to compete against an energized
GOP that has embraced Trump’s return. They must quickly pivot to unify a shaken Democratic party, refocus an entire campaign apparatus around a new presidential ticket and organize the ground game to get out the vote.
Trump’s team faces its own challenge, refocusing its relentless attacks, from Biden’s age, 81, stamina and ability to govern, to a yet-to-be-named Democratic nominee, which appears increasingly likely to be Harris. Among top potential contenders, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she won’t run, and Govs. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina all endorsed Harris on Sunday.
“She has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country thoughtfully and with integrity,” Cooper said on social media.
Before Biden’s announcement, Republicans had already signaled their early strategy of criticizing Harris as complicit in standing by him, despite his fumbles, and they are working on legal challenges to the 2024 election.