Kamala Harris Emerges as Front-Runner for Democrats After Biden’s Departure

When Vice President Kamala Harris was suddenly declared as the party's presidential contender, many Democrats quickly threw their support behind her. President Joe Biden had announced his resignation from the contest. This wave of support followed weeks of Democratic Party internal discussion over Biden's eligibility for a second term. While many party insiders were excited about Harris's potential nomination, others—such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—remained skeptical.

With just over 100 days until the November election, the Democratic Party is under pressure to nominate Kamala Harris, so putting up a united front behind her is essential. But there are still questions in the party about her chances of defeating the Republican nominee and former president, Donald Trump. Before the convention in August, a number of Democrats have suggested organizing a mini-primary to make sure the nominee has broad support.

Following Harris's decision to resign, Biden himself issued a statement endorsing Harris. The Congressional Black Caucus, major contributors, a number of legislators, and super PACs such as Priorities USA and Unite the Country swiftly followed suit. Speaking on X, Biden said, "Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year." "Democrats, let's band together to defeat Trump. Now let's get started.

As the day went on, the list of Democratic lawmakers who had endorsed Harris grew to include well-known individuals such as Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Jared Polis of Colorado, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Patty Murray of Washington, and Representatives James Clyburn of South Carolina and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.

Reid Hoffman, the creator of LinkedIn and a significant Democratic fundraiser, received praise for Harris from Dmitri Mehlhorn, who described her as "the American dream personified." He emphasized her courage and resiliency as he described her path from her birthplace of Oakland, California to her current position as the state's top prosecutor. "I am eager to assist in electing President Harris, especially with Scranton Joe stepping down."

According to various sources cited by Reuters, all 50 state leaders of the Democratic party are expected to endorse Harris as the party's next presidential contender. Democratic delegates from North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee all declared their backing for Harris. Both former president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who was President Barack Obama's secretary of state, openly supported Harris.

Pelosi and Obama, who were Biden's eight-year vice presidential allies, were among the prominent individuals who expressed gratitude for Biden's service but refrained from endorsing Harris or any other contender. "In the days ahead, we will be navigating uncharted waters," Obama said. "However, I am extremely optimistic that our party's leaders will be able to establish a procedure that produces a superb nominee."

Obama thinks he will be in a unique position to help unify the party once a nominee is selected, similar to his role in 2020 when Biden won the Democratic nomination, according to a source familiar with his thinking.

While applauding Biden's decision to resign, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said nothing about the Democratic nominee. The first senator from the Democratic Party to urge Biden to withdraw his reelection campaign was U.S. Senator Peter Welch, who supported an open selection process. "We want an open process so that whoever our nominee is, including Kamala, has the strength of having a process that shows the consensus position of the party," Welch stated in support of the Democratic Party. "The Democratic Party is debating who can defeat Trump and continue President Biden's legacy," he continued.

A Democratic contributor voiced support for a ticket that included Harris as the presidential nominee and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate. The idea was to secure votes in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state. If Harris gets nominated, it is still unknown who she would select as her running companion.

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's followers, who had been supporting Biden under the name Haley Voters for Biden, have changed their name to Haley Voters for Harris. This change highlights how the Democratic Party's internal dynamics are changing as it struggles to select a contender for the next election.

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