Democratic lawmakers and officials rallied Sunday to support Vice President Harris to replace President Biden at the top of the party’s presidential ticket, bolstering him hours after Biden announced he would not run for another four years in office.
Harris was quickly endorsed by Biden, former President Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), and, as of 6:30 p.m. Sunday night, 17 Senate Democrats, including several members of the leadership.
Lawmakers supporting Harris include Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a House member seen as close to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who faces a competitive race run this fall in a swing state. Her endorsement served as an early vote of confidence in Harris from a lawmaker whose job could be in jeopardy in the fall.
But the endorsements on Sunday did not include Pelosi herself, nor House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.). Former President Obama also offered no endorsement in a statement praising Biden.
Their silence does not necessarily reflect a lack of trust or support for Harris.
Some Democrats viewed Sunday as being about Biden and did not want to make any statements that would divert attention from him.
“People are holding back because there is a certain respect that Joe Biden deserves on this day and, frankly, for the rest of his days on this planet for who he is and what he has done,” former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said to MSNBC.
Some Democrats have also signaled that they would prefer there to be some kind of process or contest to replace Biden, to strengthen an eventual nominee.
“She has indicated that she wants to win it and no one wants to see a circular movement in that way that seems nefarious, but at the same time no one wants to see division,” a Democratic operative told The Hill.
“Members demonstrating helps her cause, but it has to be authentic,” the agent added, referring to Harris.
There were no public challenges to Harris on Sunday afternoon, and the vice president’s campaign showed signs of accelerating as she held calls with several senators to win support.
The initial wave of endorsements gives Harris an early advantage over any potential challenger four weeks before the Democratic National Convention is set to officially cement who will challenge former President Trump, the newly nominated Republican Party nominee.
Harris’ supporters on Sunday were quick to point out her fundraising advantage, as the Biden-Harris campaign has $96 million in its coffers that will only be able to follow Harris if she is the nominee.
Democrats have said they hope the campaign – which officially refiled as Harris for president on Sunday afternoon — to announce record fundraising totals for the vice president in the coming days.
“Several people are supporting her. She has the resources of the Biden-Harris infrastructure,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), a Harris supporter, told MSNBC on Sunday, adding that his phone had hundreds of messages from volunteers and voters asking “where do I doo? Where do I knock on doors? How do I get to Michigan and Pennsylvania to look voters in the eye to make the case?
“People are excited about Kamala,” he added.
Notably, calls for the party to hold a fully open convention in less than a month in Chicago or displays of support for any other potential candidate have been downplayed from the start, but Democrats are still keeping an eye on other potential options.
Some party members are closely watching what the horde of governors who were widely considered to be on the 2028 list — headed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Gov. of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear – will do so in the coming days.
Another prominent Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, endorsed Harris on Sunday, saying the best path forward was for the party to quickly unite around Harris. Shapiro has also been mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate.
The hill for any non-Harris Democrat appears steep, given his financial and initial advantage with the party’s core members.
“You’re going to need a really good reason to do this,” the Democratic operative said, reciting what they would have to overcome. “First female president. Black woman. Current vice president. [Biden] has already endorsed it.
“It will be a difficult argument to make and use against her,” they added.
Other party members also believe the conversation could move entirely from who will be at the top of the ticket to what other pressing matters will be.
“Yes, there is a process to go through and, yes, she must earn it. But she won in many ways when Joe Biden chose her to be his vice president,” McCaskill said.
“This will move very quickly into the discussion about who his vice presidential candidate will be,” she added.
Mychael Schnell contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
