Democrats rally behind Harris as she vows to ‘earn and win’ her party’s nomination for president

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats quickly aligned with Vice President Kamala Harris as their presumptive presidential nominee on Sunday after President Joe Biden made a landmark decision to withdraw from the 2024 race, a volatile and rapidly changing political landscape just months before the November election.

Shortly after Biden stepped down, he threw his full support behind Harris, who would make history as the country’s first Black and South Asian woman to be a major party’s presidential nominee. Other endorsements came from former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the first major female presidential candidate, as well as prominent U.S. senators, numerous House representatives and members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.

Potential candidates for the job immediately became Harris’s supporters.

As Democrats organize to confront Republican Donald Trump this fall, Biden said picking Harris as his vice president was the “best decision” he ever made. “Let’s do this,” he said.

“It is my intention to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement.

Still, the political and logistical situation for Democrats remains somewhat uncertain. The party had expected to portray Trump as a quasi-authoritarian leader and a threat to American democracy in the November election. Now it must reshuffle the top spot on its ticket in a few weeks, before the party’s nominating convention begins on August 19.

There appeared to be a groundswell of support for Harris as party leader: Within hours, Biden’s campaign officially changed its name to Harris for President, signaling that she would inherit his political assets. Still, there are notable detractors.

Former President Barack Obama and Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, who are widely seen as the ones who engineered Biden’s withdrawal from the race because they were concerned not only about keeping the White House but also about gaining control of Congress, have not explicitly endorsed Harris. Pelosi favors an open primary to bolster an eventual nomination.

And West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party earlier this year to become an independent, is considering re-registering as a Democrat to run for the vice presidential nomination, according to his longtime adviser Jonathan Kott.

Key Democrats believe Harris would benefit from what some are calling a “mini-primary.” They argue that a quick primary campaign would show the American people, party donors and skeptics that Harris is the best candidate for the job, and give potential candidates a chance to compete — or at least debut as potential running mates.

Harris called members of Congress late in the day and received support, including from Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a moderate faction on Capitol Hill, which endorsed Harris on Sunday.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison promised a “transparent and orderly process.”

With early voting just months away, Democrats have no time to waste if they want to compete with an energized GOP that has embraced Trump’s return. They must move quickly to unite a shaken Democratic Party, refocus an entire campaign apparatus on a new presidential ticket and organize the ground game to turn out the vote.

Trump’s team faces a challenge of its own, refocusing its relentless attacks from Biden’s age, 81, stamina and ability to govern, on an as-yet-unnamed Democratic nominee who increasingly looks likely to be Harris. Among the potential frontrunners, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she would not run, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina all endorsed Harris on Sunday.

“She has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country with thought and integrity,” Cooper said on social media.

Before Biden’s announcement, Republicans had already signaled that they would criticize Harris for being an accomplice to him, despite his mistakes. They are working on legal action against the 2024 election.

“Not only would Harris be a disaster in the White House, but she helped Biden cover up his declining health while in office, which destroys her credibility,” said a statement from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chair Lara Trump.

Even as Biden endorses Harris, there is an active debate about her rise among Democratic heavyweights: lawmakers, wealthy donors and former senior officials from the Biden, Obama and Clinton administrations, according to a Democrat with close ties to the Biden-Harris administration.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions, said a mini-primary would help Harris cement her credentials as a strong, sharp candidate and reduce criticism that she was elected undemocratically, something the Trump campaign has already tried to use against her.

But for some Democratic allies and lawmakers who immediately backed Harris for the nomination, it would be untenable for the party to ignore her historic candidacy.

Washington Sen. Patty Murray said she is “100 percent” behind Harris. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Harris “has the experience, energy and determination to lead our country.” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said he “will enthusiastically support my friend.”

Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Laphonza Butler of California also said they would support Harris, who served as a U.S. senator, as did a growing number of Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

Yet other Democrats have remained silent about their support for Harris, or their push for an open trial.

Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont said in an interview with The Associated Press that he believes the party “has to make our decisions first and foremost about who can best represent us so we can defeat Trump.”

Donors are weighing in. Chad Griffin, a member of the campaign’s national finance committee and a top Democratic fundraiser in the Los Angeles area, said the party is fortunate to have Harris. “She is the trusted, tested leader we need to lead us to victory in November,” he said in a statement.

The Democratic convention in Chicago, which was supposed to be a coronation for Biden, is now turning into an open contest with nearly 4,700 delegates responsible for choosing a new standard-bearer.

Biden had won every state primaries and caucuses earlier this year, losing only the territory of American Samoa. At least 3,896 delegates have pledged to support him.

Current party rules do not allow Biden to pass them on to another candidate, but politically his endorsement is likely to be very influential.

Harris now has the responsibility of cementing the support of nearly 4,000 delegates from the states, territories and the District of Columbia, plus more than 700 so-called superdelegates, including party leaders, certain elected officials and former presidents and vice presidents.

__ Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this story.