Vice President Kamala Harris began a race to lock up the Democratic nomination Sunday afternoon—with her allies working flat out to stop the party’s other top candidates from running.
She secured an instant boost after Gretchen Whitmer, the two-term Michigan governor, indicated she would not run.
All 50 state Democratic Party chairs also threw their weight behind Harris’ candidacy following a conference call Sunday, Reuters reported.
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“Following President Biden’s announcement, our members immediately assembled to unite behind the candidate who has a track record of winning tough elections, and who is a proven leader on the issues that matter to Americans: reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, climate protection, justice reform, and rebuilding the economy. That person is our sitting Vice President Kamala Harris,” Ken Martin, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, said in a statement.
But it had only been hours since some of the most powerful Democrats were pushing for a free-for-all open process should Biden drop out. Ahead of Biden’s announcement, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi told colleagues she would be in favor of such a “competitive” scramble, rather than an anointing, The New York Times reported. A Friday call between Harris and party donors also left some fuming when she did not address concerns about Biden.
Even former President Barack Obama demurred on Harris, writing in a statement, “I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
The major vulnerability for Harris is that she has two Democratic presidents in her camp—Joe Biden and Bill Clinton—but does not have the most important, Barack Obama, in lockstep.
Leah Millis/ReutersGiven Harris’ history-making standing as the first Black, Asian, and female vice president, passing over her in favor of another candidate would be a blow to some of Democrats’ most loyal constituencies.
Now, Harris’ allies are quickly moving to head off potential rivals, and it starts at the very top.
In a statement announcing the end of his bid, Biden thanked his vice president for her service. Minutes later, he issued a full-throated endorsement.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” he wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
His nod alone is likely to box our other Democratic hopefuls who might have been eyeing the presidential nomination. Despite the calls in recent weeks for Biden to drop out of the race, he remains the party’s leader and elder statesman, and crossing him could sink the long-term political prospects of the party’s rising stars. Furthermore, the delegates Biden locked down during the primary are loyal to him, which means they’re likely to take his suggestion to heart.
The most powerful move by the Harris camp was to lock up the endorsement of President Joe Biden, 23 minutes after he announced he was stepping aside.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersFormer President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who had reportedly advocated for Biden until the end, backed him up again on Sunday.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” he posted.
Leaders in the Black community and advocates for women are already lining up behind her.
The Congressional Black Caucus is one of the most influential groups that endorsed her immediately. As The Daily Beast reported earlier this month, there was growing concern among Black Democrats that a replacement ticket might not even include Harris.
Members of the CBC were among the first to proclaim their support for Harris on Sunday afternoon.
“Now that President Biden has suspended his campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris is the most qualified and best choice to lead us forward,” Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who lost his primary last month, posted minutes before Biden made his endorsement.
Harris moved rapidly to shore up support from the Congressional Black Caucus. She hosted its then leadership in the Oval Office in 2023, including (second left) the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersRep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), who was key to Biden’s 2020 victory, put his thumb on the scales, too, writing in a statement, “I echo the good judgment he demonstrated in selecting Vice President Harris to lead this nation alongside him, and I am proud to follow his lead in support of her candidacy to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee for President.
Endorsements of Harris soon rolled in from other CBC members, including Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO).
“In 2020, voters turned out to deliver Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House,” Bush wrote. “The people’s vote was a vote not only for President Biden, but a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and her ability to defeat MAGA extremism across the country. When we say trust Black women, we mean it.”
A slew of other Democratic lawmakers, especially politicians of color, expressed the same sentiment. She earned near-immediate backing from Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Harris, the most prominent woman in Democratic politics, has also been one of the administration’s most vocal spokespeople on abortion. She is already getting a further boost from advocates of women’s rights.
About an hour after Biden dropped out, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), quickly came to her side.
“Our mission in this race has been and will continue to be to beat Donald Trump—and Vice President Harris is the best candidate to do that,” the group’s CEO, Mini Timmaraju, said in a statement. “We must unite behind her as the Democratic nominee.”
