Alaska Democratic Party Endorses Kamala Harris After Biden Resigns

Alaska’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race.

According to a press release from the Democratic Party of Alaska, party officials met Sunday night and rallied behind Harris.

State Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, one of the 20 voting delegates, said the news was bittersweet — Josephson said he is proud of Biden’s record, but said Harris has a better chance to “reinvigorate the Obama coalition” and defeat Donald Trump.

“I think Kamala Harris will do a better job of making the argument and presenting the case against Donald Trump, and the fact that the Trump campaign clearly wanted to run against Joe Biden tells me everything I need to know about what they fear in Kamala Harris,” Josephson said by phone.

He said the decision to support Harris was unanimous among those present at the meeting on Sunday night.

Rep. Ron Meehan praised Biden’s decision to leave office.

“I know this was an incredibly difficult decision for President Biden to make, but it also shows that he is committed to doing what is right for this country above all else,” he said in a phone call.

Meehan said he was optimistic Harris could run on the back of the Biden administration’s policies, pointing to infrastructure investments and the fight against climate change.

“Vice President Harris has a proven track record of delivering for America’s working families and protecting our fundamental freedoms. She has demonstrated her ability to lead our country with strength, compassion and dignity as attorney general, senator and vice president,” Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, another Alaska delegate to the DNC, said in a prepared statement. “I am proud to endorse her as the Democratic nominee for president.”

Fellow Rep. Mike Davis said some wanted to wait a day or two before supporting Harris, but he said the consensus was that action needed to be taken quickly.

“I think people thought, hey, this has to happen now,” Davis said in a telephone interview. “It’s important that she knows from the beginning that she has the support of the Alaska delegation, and so that was the dominant argument versus, let’s wait here for a day.”

Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski said in a message on social media that she “respects President Biden’s decision to act in the best interest of the country by resigning at the end of the 2024 presidential election.” The other two members of Alaska’s congressional delegation, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, had not commented on the news as of Monday afternoon.

Democrats across the country have thrown their weight behind Harris, including some who had been mentioned as potential competitors. Democratic parties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky, among others, also endorsed Harris shortly after Biden’s announcement.

“Vice President Harris will continue President Biden’s legacy with unprecedented investments in Alaska and our people,” Alaska Democratic Party Chairman Mike Wenstrup said in a statement. “She is well-positioned to earn the nomination and win in November.”