Florida Democrats call for unanimous support for Harris after Biden withdraws

TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Florida Democrats said Monday they are united behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race Sunday and endorsed his No. 2 candidate. But despite the enthusiasm, Florida Republicans don’t think it will matter in November.

In a news conference, Florida Democrats, including members of Congress, the state legislature and state party leaders, said they were all for Harris, following weeks of unrest over whether Biden should remain at the top of the ticket.

“Harris is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida’s 25th). “She is also the best qualified to prosecute the case against this convicted felon and convicted rapist.”

For Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens), the candidacy provided renewed momentum for the 2024 race. He said the energy felt like a throwback to former President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory.

“I feel the 2008 effect building and there is momentum from every sector of this country,” Jones said. “Let me remind Democrats and people across the country who believe in democracy that we win when we organize, and we can win with Vice President Kamala Harris. If we come on board and if we believe in it.”

The support comes after Florida Democratic Chair Nikki Fried announced that nearly all of the state’s delegates had signed a letter backing Harris, a total of 236 of the 254 delegates the party said were now uncommitted following Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

Fried said it was time for party unity, despite questions about whether an open party convention would be better for Democratic voters.

“We need to unite at this moment, we need to make sure that we fight together at this moment for democracy across the country,” Fried said. “In fact, everyone that has been discussed in the last three and a half weeks in — I call it fantasy football — every one of those leaders has given their full support to Vice President Kamala Harris for president.”

Meanwhile, the rebranded Harris Campaign has been raising money, mostly from small donors, since Biden’s announcement Sunday. Within 24 hours, her campaign said it had raised $81 million from about 890,000 grassroots donors.

Despite everything, Florida Republicans remained confident the state would remain red in 2024. Members told us they don’t believe Harris will do anything to sway the Sunshine State. Republicans now have a nearly 1 million-person lead over Democrats in voter registrations.

“I have a message for Florida Democrats who have had enough of ‘Tricky Nikki’ Fried’s bullying: You are welcome to join the hundreds of thousands who have already switched to the Florida GOP!” Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power said in a statement. “We are the only political party in the state that gives our voters the power to choose their own candidate — not shady party bosses.”

Powers’ comments echo a new talking point for Republicans over the changing of the hat. The party condemned Democrats for, in their words, circumventing democracy to appoint a new nominee.

“They’re giving their voters the illusion of choice, which isn’t really a choice for the ‘party of choice’ — they’re certainly not giving a choice,” said Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill).

Ingoglia, a former Florida Republican Party chairman and now a state lawmaker, was among Republicans who said Democrats were circumventing the electoral process and urged voters to hold their party accountable.

“Look, they’re going to have an open convention by the literal letter of the rule,” Ingoglia said. “But we know the goose is cooked with this, and it’s Kamala Harris they’re putting forward.”

Florida’s governor also drew criticism from Harris on Monday when he posted online that the vice president was “too empty, too liberal and too incompetent for voters to believe the fabricated narrative.”

Harris has made at least 10 visits to Florida since becoming VP. Florida Democrats expected her to make more visits if/when she formally becomes the party’s presidential nominee. The focus, likely as it has been, is abortion access, an issue that will be on Florida’s November ballot.