Bowing to the last month of relentless anxiety since his debate against ex-president Donald Trump and increased calls to drop out of the 2024 presidential election race, President Joe Biden officially announced this past Sunday that he would not be seeking his party’s nomination, and subsequently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his potential replacement.
Harris is the first Black, first South Asian American, and first woman vice president in the U.S., now potentially facing a historic road to become the second Black president, and the first woman or South Asian to hold the office.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden told supporters Sunday, kicking off an action-packed remainder to the weekend that saw millions of dollars raised for Harris almost instantaneously. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. 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.”
Biden’s exit from the race and endorsement of Harris has caused a monumental upswing in the energy surrounding the upcoming Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August and the general election in November. Despite the bittersweetness, many fellow Democrats have expressed their sheer gratitude to Biden for deciding to drop out.
“As a longtime friend of Joe Biden’s, I was saddened that he did step down. I’m sure it was done with much thought by him and his family and I respect that,” Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) New York State Conference, told the AmNews Monday afternoon.
New York Democrats and other prominent left-leaning figures have been lining up in support of Biden’s decision and Harris’ endorsement in the hours since Biden’s groundshifting announcement. A large number of New York Democrats have also already pledged diehard allegiance to making sure Harris becomes the Democratic presidential nominee and is subsequently elected into office.
“President Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents in American history. Throughout his entire career, President Biden dedicated his service to creating opportunities for Americans. He has rescued the country from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, created millions of jobs for Americans and been a trailblazer for gun safety in our nation. President Biden in under one term has enacted consequential policy benefiting the American people and has always been a staunch supporter of maintaining our democracy and advocating for civil rights and reproductive freedoms,” said U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) said in a statement, “President Biden has my deepest gratitude for his unwavering service to our nation. America is a better place because of his leadership.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), added that it cannot be forgotten that “a second Trump term is a real threat. The former president has gotten even more dangerous, emboldened by those he put in our nation’s highest courts. With every hateful rhetoric and constant lies, he exposes his deep desire to use his office to exact revenge against anyone who stood against him and for democracy.”
The Associated Press reports that Biden’s announcement means his judicial delegates are now free to vote for Harris or other candidates. His campaign funds of nearly $96 million and massive campaign staff have already been formally changed to support Harris, said the AP.
Harris quickly won endorsements from the leadership of several influential caucuses and political organizations, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Fund, The Collective PAC, and the Latino Victory Fund; as well as the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the entire Congressional Black Caucus, said the AP.
“Former senator, former prosecutor. Really tested and ready to take on this position. And Black women vote and that’s how we know we’re going to win,” Dukes said.
“President Joe Biden has steadfastly served as an exemplary public servant for the betterment of our country for over five decades. As our President, Biden has greatly advanced our nation forward; achieving immense progress uplifting all Americans through his historic accomplishments and astute leadership,” Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said in a statement. “The Brooklyn Democratic Party wholeheartedly echoes Biden’s endorsement of Harris as our next President, and we’re confident she’ll be an ‘extraordinary partner’ to keep building on our strongest economy in decades, defending democracy, and improving our quality-of-life—from combating gun violence, to advancing women’s rights, to myriad more pressing issues facing Americans.”
Ny Whitaker, a former White House Senior Advisor, added her voice to the growing chorus of those in support of Harris.
“Black Women have been the backbone of the Democratic Party for decades. This is the time for all who care about our democracy, our freedoms, justice and equity, to build a new coalition and partner with communities of color without fear in order to move our nation forward with unity toward the election of Kamala Harris as the President of the United States of America,” said Whitaker. “Now is the time for the media to be responsible caretakers of our democracy and to pivot the rhetoric away from Joe Biden and towards the existential threat that is the Trump-Vance ticket. We must prevent Project 2025 and we cannot stop beating the drum until every voter knows what’s at stake, and the true contrast that is on the ballot this November. Any conversation that eliminates or lessens the contributions of Kamala Harris to the viability of our nation is moot.”
Sharpton said that “every Black woman in a seat of power” is already under attack on two fronts, which means Harris will need every ounce of support she can muster in the coming weeks and months.
“The attacks we have seen will only be supercharged as she prepares to take on Donald Trump this November. Racist, sexist tropes will be deployed to question every action or accomplishment in her life – just as we saw with Claudine Gay earlier this year,” Sharpton said, “President Biden has turned to her repeatedly for guidance on the most pressing issues facing our community and her fingerprint is on all of the things that the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered for Black America. It will be imperative for all Americans, especially Black men, to stand with her in this historic moment.”
The AP reported that former President Barack Obama held off on an immediate endorsement of Harris, sharing concerns with some in the Democratic party that the quick shift to Harris would appear to be a coronation and not a democratic election of a new nominee. Obama has pledged his support behind the eventual party nominee, said AP.
“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” -Lyndon B. Johnson