Following the announcement from President Joe Biden that he will not be seeking reelection, a host of key Democratic leaders have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the nominee instead. The wave of endorsements included support from all 50 state Democratic Party chairs across the country.
A flurry of responses sparked by the announcement included many Mississippi political leaders, but some officials appeared to be holding off on endorsing a specific candidate until a national consensus was established. However, it didn’t take long for that to come, with the Association of State Democratic Committees releasing the following just hours after Biden’s statement:
“Following President Biden’s announcement, our members immediately assembled to unite behind the candidate who has a track record of winning tough elections, and is a proven leader on the issues that matter to Americans: reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, climate protection, justice reform, and rebuilding the economy,” Ken Martin, president of the association, said. “That person is our sitting Vice President Kamala Harris.”
While the Mississippi Democratic Party did not endorse Harris in their initial statement on Sunday, they did praise the progress initiated under Biden-Harris administration, and the Association of State Democratic Committees statement of support includes Mississippi.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has marked some of the most progressive years in our nation’s history,” read the statement. “Joe Biden led us through a pandemic, codified same-sex marriage into law, championed student loan forgiveness, and passed a bipartisan infrastructure law that infused funds into countless communities.”
Cheikh Taylor, recently elected chair of the Mississippi Democratic Party, argued that Democratic delegates were not disheartened by Biden’s debate performance and were “emboldened by the last four years of [Biden’s] presidency.”
So far, more than 175 congressional Democrats and Democratic governors have pledged their support for Vice President Harris ahead of the Democratic National Convention beginning August 19 in Chicago.
In his announcement detailing the end of his reelection bid, Biden also named the vice president as his choice for the next president of the United States:
“I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said in the statement. “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Vice President Harris accepted the President’s endorsement and made it clear that she is aiming to headline the Democratic Party’s ticket on the ballot come November 5.
“I am honored to have the president’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said.
It’s the first full day of our campaign, so I’m heading up to Wilmington, DE later to say “hello” to our staff in HQ.
One day down. 105 to go. Together, we’re going to win this.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 22, 2024
Nearly 4,000 delegates will meet at the upcoming DNC, with 3,800 previously pledged to Joe Biden but will be released to vote for a new nominee. To secure the nomination, Harris, or any other candidate, must secure 1,986 delegates.
