An overwhelming majority of state Democratic Party chairs have thrown their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s 2024 presidential nominee after President Joe Biden announced he was suspending his reelection campaign on Sunday.
Ken Martin, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, said that “state party chairs, vice-chairs, and executive directors across the country are overwhelmingly uniting” behind Ms. Harris.
“These state party leaders are on the front lines of winning elections at every level and know that the stakes of this election could not be higher,” Mr. Martin said in a statement.
President Biden himself endorsed Ms. Harris to succeed him in the race. But the final selection will be determined through a vote by the party’s delegates at the national convention in Chicago next month.
“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,” President Biden stated on X.
In response, Ms. Harris expressed her gratitude to the president and pledged “to earn and win this nomination.”
Most Democratic Party chairs across America’s 57 states and territories announced on Sunday their “overwhelming support” for Ms. Harris as their nominee to run against former President Donald Trump in the November election.
“With our democracy on the ballot, there is no one more qualified than Vice President Harris to prosecute the case against Donald Trump,” Mr. Martin said on behalf of the party chairs.
The vast majority of state party leaders voted to support Ms. Harris and no ASDC member voted in opposition, according to the statement. It noted that “a handful of members” abstained for in-state procedural reasons.
Support from Elected Democrats
Ms. Harris’s bid also received immediate support from many elected Democratic officials, including 26 of the 47 Democrats in the U.S.
Senate. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said he believes Ms. Harris “will draw a clear contrast” from the Republican presidential nominee. “She is prepared to be Commander-in-Chief and is the best person to meet this moment,” the Pennsylvania senator said in a statement.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) expressed confidence that Ms. Harris “has what it takes to beat Donald Trump” and said the vice president is ready “to lead on the toughest domestic and foreign policy issues.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also voiced her support for Ms. Harris, noting that the former prosecutor “can press a forceful case against allowing Donald Trump to regain the White House.”
“We have many talented people in our party, but Vice President Harris is the person who was chosen by the voters to succeed Joe Biden if needed,” Ms. Warren said on X.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that he believes Ms. Harris “is now the right person to take up the torch, defeat Donald Trump, and succeed Joe Biden as president.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was among Democratic governors to voiced support for Ms. Harris.
“With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President @KamalaHarris,” Mr. Newsom stated on X.
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also endorsed Ms. Harris in a joint statement on Sunday, saying they will “fight with everything we’ve got to elect her.”
Former President Barack Obama, who retains considerable influence in the Democratic Party, issued a lengthy statement praising President Biden’s decision to exit the race but made no mention of Ms. Harris. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also has yet to offer an endorsement to the vice president.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.