Kamala Harris’ Roll Call Vote Is a Breakthrough for Pennsylvania Pioneers

The appeal meant nothing. But it also meant a lot.

Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, officially became her party’s nominee two weeks ago without much ceremony after a virtual delegate vote.

So when Pennsylvania’s delegation cast 178 votes Tuesday night to nominate Harris as the first Black woman and first Asian American woman nominated by a major political party, it was simply a ceremonial gesture.

But for the Pennsylvanians who were in the audience during the convention, whose political career was also characterized by being the first, the only, or part of a compact group, this moment seemed significant.

“Having the first Black woman on the ballot, and only the second time a woman has been on the ballot, has created excitement across the country, across different groups and demographics, who see themselves and feel represented,” said Monica Taylor, a delegate who is the first Black woman to serve as chair of the Delaware County Council.

The rally also served as a elated gathering for delegates from across the country, with songs from each state performed, including “Motown Philly” by Boyz II Men and “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa for Pennsylvania.

It all started with Delaware, President Joe Biden’s home state, and ended with Minnesota and California, the home states of vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and Harris.

As the roll call began in Pennsylvania, Dwan Walker, the first black mayor of Aliquippa in Beaver County, addressed the convention and explained that he shaped his political path in 2009 after the murder of his sister.

“Twelve years this city has been under my watch,” Walker said at the convention. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead my city. I am grateful for the state of Pennsylvania. God bless everyone in this room.”

Walker then passed the microphone to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a leading candidate to be Harris’ vice presidential candidate before her selection of Walz earlier this month.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the birthplace of democracy, the birthplace of freedom, the greatest commonwealth of them all,” he said, “collectively, Pennsylvania casts 178 votes for the next President of the United States, Kamala Harris, and Vice President Tim Walz.”

The delegation cheered, including Rogette Harris, the only black woman to chair one of the state’s 67 Democratic parties, a distinction she has held for four years.

“I became chair because I was asked to run, and as women of color, we’re not asked to run as often,” Harris said. “We need to encourage and recruit women of color to run for these positions.”

Harris, of Dauphin County, said that makes being a delegate to the historic convention meaningful. “It’s personal to me,” she said.

Jamila Winder, the first black woman to serve on the Montgomery County Commission board, reflected on her journey as she voted.

“We think about what happened in 2016. We think about the struggle that women often go through to get into positions of leadership, positions of power, and how hard it is to get to those positions,” she said. “I know from experience what I went through to get into my seat. It’s historic. It means a lot and it means the tide is turning.”

Her colleague, Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, the first Asian-American commissioner in any of the state’s 67 counties, has been a Harris supporter since he first met her when she was running for California attorney general. At that point in 2010, the South Asian American community had no elected officials in federal office.

“She’s the one at the table who sees and values ​​everyone — no matter their title or status,” said Makhija, who celebrated Diwali at Harris’ Washington home the day after he won his seat. “That’s her superpower.”

In recent weeks, former President Donald Trump has tried to utilize Harris’s Native American heritage to question the vice president’s black identity.

Harris has always embraced both identities. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, emigrated from India in 1958 to study endocrinology at the University of California at Berkeley. Her father, Donald Harris, emigrated from Jamaica in 1961 to study economics at the same university, and the couple met through their involvement in the civil rights movement.

Arvind Venkat, a McCandless delegate and state representative from suburban Pittsburgh, has family from the same part of India where Harris’ mother’s family comes from. Venkat is the first Indian-American to hold office in a statehouse and the only Asian-American elected west of Harrisburg.

Venkat said that while experiencing the moment live in Chicago was “incredibly special,” part of him longed to be there with his wife, son and two daughters, who will be eligible to vote in the presidential election for the first time in November.

“I will think of them as young women of Indian descent, seeing the first South Asian female candidate, the first African American female candidate standing before them and a potential candidate for president of the United States, and wondering what that says about what is possible in this country,” he said.

When Harris took the stage in a somewhat surprising way to greet the audience on opening night Monday, the Pennsylvania delegation jumped to their feet and marched from their sector to the front of the stage left — a sign that this state is so crucial.

“Philadelphia is home tonight,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, standing alongside three other city elected officials who are women of color.

City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson said the “energy in this building is palpable.”

“We’re excited. We’re elated,” she said. Like Parker, Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, whose district includes parts of West and Southwest Philadelphia and Delaware County, is the first black woman to hold the office and commented on the historic nature of Harris’ candidacy.

“It’s just incredible that we’re going to make history at this convention by nominating the first Asian American and Black woman who is as talented, has a longer resume than all of us combined, has held every elected office at the local, state and federal level,” McClinton said.

“What this means for women across our country, in every country, is absolutely incredible.”

Co-author Anna Orso contributed to this article.