In the latest sign that the Democratic Party is uniting behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Pennsylvania’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention unanimously endorsed her candidacy during an emergency meeting on Monday.
“There is tremendous excitement that Vice President Kamala Harris has been nominated by the Democratic Party,” said Sharif Street, chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. “Yesterday, ActBlue raised over $66.9 million, breaking single-day fundraising records. Vice President Harris will be well-positioned to build on the historic success of the Biden-Harris Administration and continue to build on it under her leadership, vision and intellect.”
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party Board has officially announced its support for Harris for president.
The vote came about 24 hours after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election and pledged his support for Harris.
Street also thanked Biden in a press release, saying the president “has a history of putting America first throughout a career spanning more than half a century” and praised his accomplishments on the economy.
Other delegates from key states, including North Carolinahave also pledged support for Harris since Sunday’s announcement.
Since Biden announced his decision on Sunday, Pennsylvania Republicans have been sharply critical of his decision and his support for Harris, with some suggesting the president should resign.
But A group of Pennsylvania elected officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman, and the state’s entire Democratic Congressional Caucus, endorsed Harris.
Pennsylvania Democrats Endorse Kamala Harris, Some Support Josh Shapiro for Vice President
State Rep. Danilo Burgos (D-Philadelphia), a Democratic delegate, told the Capital-Star that it was clear even before Monday’s vote that Pennsylvania was “completely behind Harris.” He said building a national consensus within the party is crucial to Harris’ success as a presidential candidate.
“We still have four weeks left, but I hope no one will be against her. She is proven and she can get the job done. It’s time for all of us to focus on stopping Trump and his 2025 agenda,” Burgos said.
State Rep. Melissa Cerrato (D-Montgomery), another delegate, said the vote to endorse Harris brought “a great sense of unity to the party.”
“It was very, very exciting when they called for applications,” Cerrato told the Capital-Star. “There were at least 40 or 50 people trying to apply at the same time.”
“As a Black woman, it is personal for me to be able to vote for a qualified, capable, intelligent and very deserving Black woman to lead this country,” Dauphin County Democratic Party Chairwoman Rogette Harris, a delegate, said in a statement. “It is a known fact that Black women are the heart of the Democratic Party as the largest, most loyal voting bloc.”
“I encourage the Democratic Party to support qualified Black women in leadership positions with the same strength and energy that Black women support the Democratic Party,” she added.
92% of black voters in Pennsylvania supported Biden over Donald Trump in 2020, data shows exit poll.
A poll this cycle showed Biden ahead of Trump among black voters, but margins were getting tighterSince yesterday’s announcement, no poll has been released showing how a Harris vs. Trump matchup would fare in Pennsylvania.
Before Biden dropped out of the race, amid calls from dozens of members of his own party not to seek reelection, Pennsylvania Democrats loyally supported his bid for a second term.
On Thursday, hours before Trump delivered his speech at the Republican National Convention, Philadelphia-area Democratic county commissioners who serve as delegates to the DNC said they would endorse Biden at the convention.
“President Biden is our presumptive nominee and I know there have been many voices that he should concede, but as leaders of our party, we have an obligation to support President Biden and this is an inherently personal choice that he must make,” Montgomery County Commissioner said. Jamila Winder said on Thursdaybefore Biden’s decision to drop out of the race. “I believe we need to support our presumptive nominee, and that’s President Biden.”
“I think we all love and respect Joe Biden and wanted him to be president again, but his departure is part of asking us to have confidence in the vice president,” Bucks County Commission Chairwoman Diane Ellis-Marseglia told the Capital-Star on Monday. “She’s the most prepared. She’s been vice president for four years.”
Burgos shared a similar opinion.
“I would hate for him to resign, but as he said, it is in our best interest as a nation that he decides to step aside and support Vice President Harris for president,” Burgos said.
If Harris were to receive the Democratic presidential nomination, she would have to choose her vice presidential running mate.
Ellis-Marseglia said the process for selecting a vice presidential candidate is less clear.
“I assume [Harris] they have to screen people now. Who knows, something might leak out. It might even be something they’re trying to push back to the convention to add some excitement,” she told the Capital-Star.
Shapiro has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the position, and many Pennsylvania Democrats believe he should join the campaign.
“I think he’s fantastic and we need to go with Pennsylvania and that would be a smart move,” Ellis-Marseglia said.
Burgos said choosing the right vice presidential candidate is crucial to securing the votes of moderate Republicans “who understand the need to govern, not throw tantrums.”
“Someone like Governor Shapiro can rally people to a cause, just like he does here in Pennsylvania. I believe he can do the same for our great country,” Burgos said.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives Speaker Joanna McClinton and Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady also expressed their support for Shapiro, who would join Harris in the vice presidential race.
Shapiro was asked about joining the list of candidates during a news conference in Pittsburgh on Monday. He said he didn’t want to engage in hypothetical conversations about whether he would be interested in becoming Harris’ running mate, but he did speak to Harris on Sunday. “The conversations I’ve had with the vice president are all about one thing: How do we beat Donald Trump?” Shapiro said.
Capital-Star’s Kim Lyons contributed
