After Joe Biden decides not to run for reelection, a number of Texas delegates unite behind Kamala Harris.
WASHINGTON- Following the unexpected exit of President Joe Biden from the presidential run on Sunday, a number of Democratic delegates from Texas were supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in an effort to win the party’s candidacy before what is expected to be the first competitive political convention in decades.
However; In their quest to unseat former President Donald Trump, some members of Congress, including one Democrat from Texas, called for a party-wide debate on who offers the best course of action.
El Paso Democrat and national co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar declared in a statement on Sunday that “it’s now time to unite and rally behind our Vice President, Kamala Harris.” “She, too, received 14 million votes in the primary and will spearhead the defense of our liberties against the MAGA movement and Trump’s Project 2025, which aim to destroy our democracy.”
Every one of Texas’ twelve congressional Democrats is a delegate to the national party conference in Chicago the following month.
U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said in a statement, “I look forward to working to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States and I am grateful to the President for his decades of service to our country.”
Castro stated he anticipates “the overwhelming majority of Democrats” to back Harris during a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Immediately upon his withdrawal from the contest on Sunday afternoon, Biden backed Harris as the party’s presidential contender. Choosing Harris to be his vice president was “the best decision I’ve made,” he declared on social media, adding that “it’s time to come together” in support of Harris in order to defeat Trump.
U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, who had publicly backed Biden’s decision to continue in the race, declared her support for Harris on social media.
“I will only work for @KamalaHarris, that much is certain! Enjoy the campaign season if it’s someone other than her. She blasted her fellow Democrats for having “pushed the most consequential President of our lifetime out,” saying, “I hope all of my disgruntled colleagues are able to find.
Reps. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, Lizzie Fletcher of Houston, and Greg Casar of Austin promptly endorsed Harris as well. This Monday, Veasey urged Biden to withdraw from the race in order to “pass the torch” to a younger contender like Harris.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune on Sunday night, Veasey stated, “Harris is the person everyone’s getting behind.” “She is the one who is qualified for the position and ready to go.”
Harris, however, is not assured of the nomination. All of the president’s Texas delegates are not obligated to support Harris at the party’s national convention in Chicago the following month, even though Biden has endorsed her.
Instantly, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, demanded an open convention.
“We should be open to all talented individuals who wish to be considered, even though Vice President Harris is clearly the front-runner with President Biden’s endorsement,” Doggett stated.
Following the president’s disastrous performance in the debate last month, Doggett became the first member of Congress to call for Biden to resign from the ticket. Doggett stated that by Sunday night, Harris was leading the field of possible Democratic contenders.
Doggett stated, “The majority of those who could challenge her are supporting her.”
Doggett did, however, declare that he was still open to any candidate who could demonstrate how they would defeat Trump by winning crucial states.
In remarks released on Sunday, Democratic Representatives Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen praised Biden but did not immediately indicate their support for Harris. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, who is challenging Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate race, did not mention Harris in his remarks; however, a spokeswoman subsequently informed the Tribune that Allred is supporting the vice president.
Not just Congressmen will have a voice in August at the Democratic National Convention, which will select the party’s nominee.
Texas is the state with the third-most delegates to the convention (273), after California and New York. Among them are other party leaders and elected officials from lower-class districts.
The Democratic National Committee has not yet specified the steps it will use to choose nominees. The party will “undertake a transparent and orderly process” that is “governed by established rules and procedures of the Party,” according to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison’s social media statements.
Harris declared in a formal statement that her “intention is to earn and win this nomination” for the presidency.
Angel Carroll, a national delegate for Congressional District 17, stated that she had supported Biden in spite of calls for his resignation and that she had been selected to represent Biden at the convention as a delegate at the state convention last month. The plan now, she continued, ought to be to unite around Harris.
Texas’ Congressional District 21, which includes a sizable chunk of Austin, brought together all five of its national delegates as well as the two state democratic executive committee members to support Harris.
Delegate Passion Jackson of Dallas expressed her “deep sadness” for Biden. Jackson stated that Harris is “the best person we can put forward,” but she was also concerned that Harris might encounter misogyny in the race.
According to Jackson, “at this point, we’re in uncharted territory.””I have no idea what to anticipate,”
Austin delegate Julio Salinas stated he would rather talk about the new nominee before to the DNC.
He stated, “I would prefer to see it a little bit open.” “We should have a discussion about our future course with the delegates.”
But he went on to say that Harris was his “favorite” and he would be content if she were nominated. Salinas continued, saying that Harris would have “a great shot” of beating Trump if she refocused the campaign on subjects like reproductive rights.
Cathy Broadrick, a Midland delegate serving as her first term, endorsed Harris right away. In November, the 65-year-old retired prison case manager plans to celebrate her goal of seeing the first female president in her lifetime with her granddaughters.
She continued by saying she didn’t think any other Democrats would run for the nomination. She remarked, “I just don’t think anybody wants to.”
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Just over a week before Election Day, on Sunday afternoon, Biden announced his withdrawal from the campaign. A rising number of Democratic politicians, fundraisers, activists, and strategists had stated that his candidacy was no longer feasible following his harsh debate performance against Trump the previous week. Biden frequently mixed up ideas and facts in his sentences, making it difficult for him to speak clearly. The show brought to light long-standing concerns over his age.
After a shooter opened fire on former President Donald Trump during a Pennsylvania campaign rally, the presidential election was plunged into even greater disarray. Republicans in Texas were incensed by the event, which is being looked at as a possible assassination attempt. As a result, Biden had to cancel a campaign stop in Austin. At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the horrifying spectacle of political violence inspired unifying screams of solidarity.
Biden’s polling continued to decline, with results already negative in the majority of battleground states. Democrats were concerned that Trump would win handily as a result of the attempted assassination.
Although one Texas survey indicated that Harris was somewhat more disliked than Biden there, Harris has performed marginally better against Trump in the polls.
As Biden’s longtime sidekick, Harris has found it challenging to make an impression during his administration, according to Jacob Monty, a veteran Houston Republican operative who contributed $35,000 to the Biden Victory Fund. But Monty claimed that if she were selected as the nominee, the criticisms would vanish and she could lead the party without infringing on Biden’s rights.
It’s impossible to outshine the president as vice president, but now that she had her chance, Monty predicted she would perform admirably in debates against former President Trump. “You have to have a capable debate partner who can engage him in jousting.”
Prior to parting ways with Trump over his strict immigration policies, Monty was a member of his Hispanic Advisory Council. He indicated that he had already donated Harris $25,000 and would give her “another $25,000 at least,” suggesting that she would have good fundraising luck with her at the top of the ticket sales.
Domingo Garcia, a Dallas attorney and supporter who has contributed $100,000 to the Biden campaign, stated that Biden’s resignation alters the presidential race’s momentum, which had been favoring Trump. Despite Harris’s position as the front-runner, Garcia had expressed his desire for an open nomination process and had asked Biden to step down.
