Chris Murphy praises Biden and Harris as part of effort to reset race

During a virtual press conference Sunday night, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) praised President Joe Biden’s extraordinary policies and his exit from the race as a selfless act. He then focused on the path forward to unite the Democratic Party behind a new nominee, presumptive Vice President Kamala Harris.

“This is a historic day, and we need to pause for a moment and appreciate that I am sure this was a painful, difficult decision for Joe Biden. Why? Because he has been one of the most effective, most impactful presidents of our lifetime,” said Murphy, who is running for re-election to a third term.

Murphy’s call with reporters from Connecticut is the first move by Democrats in the state, and one of many across the U.S., to reset the race and spark a generational shift, linking Harris to Biden’s legislative performance in a divided Washington.

“This is someone who helped this country recover from COVID. He helped rebuild our economy,” Murphy said. “He’s passed legislation that people thought would never pass, like a gun safety law, a massive investment in infrastructure, the largest investment in the fight against climate change in the history of the country.”

Harris, 59, is nearly two decades younger than 78-year-old Donald J. Trump and, if nominated, would lead Democrats for the second time in three elections in their effort to keep Trump out of the White House while breaking the ultimate glass ceiling in American politics: electing a woman president.

“Kamala is in many ways the best of both worlds, because she can talk about the successes of the Biden administration, but she also represents a new generation of leadership,” Murphy said. “She’s a historic figure. She would be the first female president at a time when women’s rights in this country are under attack. I think you’re going to see a growing popular enthusiasm for Kamala Harris in the coming days.”

ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, reported that Harris received $27.5 million in small donations in the first five hours after announcing her candidacy with Biden’s support.

Murphy rejected suggestions from some Republicans, notably House Speaker Mike Johnson on CNN, that by freeing up his delegates to choose a successor, Biden would somehow produce a nominee who would not get a vote in some states.

Democrats chose a telegenic backdrop to mark the anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The mural features Michelle Obama, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gov. Ella Grasso and Vice President Kamala Harris. Grasso was the only one of the five who opposed abortion. Credit: MARK PAZNIOKAS / CTMIRROR.ORG

“The party will select a new nominee in accordance with the rules of the Democratic National Committee and the winner of that process, who I expect to be Kamala Harris, will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” Murphy said.

Murphy also dismissed a second line of attack from Republicans: Democrats, including Harris, were complicit in covering up Biden’s cognitive decline, and if Biden is unfit to run for another four years, he should resign immediately.

“I think Republicans are floundering today. So I don’t really feel the need to buy into their arguments. I don’t think Joe Biden’s opinion of his ability to lead the country has changed,” Murphy said. “I think he’s come to the conclusion that Kamala Harris was the better candidate, and he cares deeply about this country. He wants to win this election. He wants to protect our democracy, he wants to defeat Donald Trump, and he came to the conclusion that the best way to make that happen was to step aside and support this new generation.”

Could Murphy also be an option as a running mate?

Murphy declined to express interest in becoming Harris’ running mate, but he also said nothing that would prevent Harris from considering him.

“I don’t think you’ve put your name forward for that,” Murphy said. “I think that’s a decision that’s up to the vice president. I think she’s going to have to make a tough decision because there are a lot of potential great choices to share the ticket with her. I haven’t had any conversations with the vice president or the team about that.”

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, a confidant and former adviser to Murphy, said Murphy should at least be included in the conversation, given that he served two terms as a senator and negotiated a bipartisan deal that resulted in the first major gun legislation in decades, as well as a bipartisan immigration measure that stalled in the House.

“He’s someone who has a track record of getting things done in a very difficult environment in Washington,” Scanlon said. “And if you’re looking for a good messenger to take on J.D. Vance and help a President Harris administration, he absolutely should be in the conversation.”

Harris is a former prosecutor, attorney general and U.S. senator from California. Early public attention for potential running mates has focused on governors who could broaden the ticket’s appeal, including Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a billionaire who has raised millions for the Democratic Party, is also among the many other possibilities.

Murphy, who began his career as a strategist, indicated that the vice presidential pick does not carry as much political weight as some might think.

“Of course the choice of a vice president matters. This is the person who could become president at any time,” Murphy said. “But I don’t think it has much to do with the decisions of voters. I don’t think many people are going to cast their vote based on their opinion of J.D. Vance.”

Vance, 39, an Ohio senator who once ridiculed Trump but now endorses some of the president’s more populist positions, was nominated for vice president last week in Milwaukee.

“You’re going to have two very strong candidates at the top of the ticket, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris probably, and I think voters’ decisions are going to be based on how they think each of the presidential candidates is going to govern,” Murphy said.

Murphy said Democrats can’t be criticized for not confronting Biden during the primary season. He noted that U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., raised alarms about Biden early on when he began campaigning.

“Phillips is a respected mainstream Democrat, a member of Congress,” Murphy said. “His candidacy never got off the ground, which I think was a sign of how fruitless the challenge to Joe Biden would have been at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.”

Chris Murphy praises Biden and Harris as part of effort to reset race

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