The energy that has followed President Joe Biden’s announcement to exit the race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential Democratic nominee is “palpable,” officials with the Democratic Party of Arkansas told reporters Tuesday.
The shift has led to an influx of people reaching out through text messages, phone calls and emails asking how to get involved, Jannie Cotton, vice chair of Arkansas’ Democratic delegation, said during a virtual press conference.
“We’re really hyped up and excited,” Cotton said. “There’s nothing that we wouldn’t do to honor President Biden … but I’m also excited to see a Black woman, who I adore, step up to the plate. She’s going to hit home runs; she’s already got our community.”
Arkansas delegates to the Democratic National Convention unanimously endorsed Harris during a virtual meeting Monday evening, and Chairperson Grant Tennille said Tuesday it was clear right away that all 36 members of the delegation were on board.
“It was an exciting night,” Tennille said. “And one of the reasons I think it was so exciting for us was that it came together incredibly quickly. I could tell by the time we got on the call which way the thing was going to go, and that led me to call for a voice vote almost immediately. I was not surprised to hear it come back unanimous.”
Arkansas delegates’ vowed their support to Harris following Biden’s weekend announcement to exit the presidential race. Biden, 81, published a letter on social media in which he announced he would not accept a presidential nomination. He later endorsed Harris in a separate post online.
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Biden’s decision to leave the race came after weeks of pressure from high-ranking officials after he struggled through a debate against Trump in June. Biden was also recently diagnosed with COVID-19.
Biden’s letter did not mention these events, though he wrote, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
The Arkansas delegation on Monday noted in a statement that Biden’s decision to step down and endorse Harris was “selfless and patriotic.”
Arkansas impact
In previous statements from the Democratic Party of Arkansas and on the press call Tuesday, Tennille noted the Biden-Harris administration’s investments into Arkansas through various legislative efforts approved by Congress.
“There are a lot of Democrats out there, and I’m one of them, who feel like the largest mistake we’re making in our state government right now is [that] we are failing at every turn to invest in our people and in our future.”
Indications that Harris would continue Biden’s economic agenda, and thus further fund Arkansas, led Tennille to further cement his support for Harris as the presidential nominee, he said.
Democratic officials also said they believed Harris at the top of the ticket in November could result in a higher voter turnout for Arkansas in certain demographics, especially with young voters and in the Black community.
“There are people out there right this minute saying, ‘I feel more represented than I have in eight years, and I want to try some of that again.’ I’m all for it myself,” Tennille said.
Cotton echoed Tennille’s comments, and said she sees people as excited as they were when Barack Obama was running for office.
For Arkansas as a whole, Tennille said he expects Harris’ presence on the ballot to have a net gain for Democrats in the state. Both Tennille and Cotton said they were hopeful the energy would trickle down to local elections, too.
“I think you’re going to see a wave effect of her in Arkansas,” Cotton said.
When asked about Harris’ “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” video compilations and the campaign branding that mirror’s pop star Charli XCX’s album “brat,” officials said they were open to any strategy that welcomed high energy and excitement.
“Look, you’re talking to people who work in politics in the worst voting state in America,” Tennille said, referring to the state’s last-place rank in voter turnout. “Whatever [Harris] can do to energize people, I want her to do, and I’m willing to help.”
Austin Ross, a data and party affairs manager with the Democratic Party of Arkansas who also represented the Young Democrats, referenced a study that listed Arkansas as one of only a few states to see an increase in young voter turnout from 2018 to 2022.
“Especially with the energy that Vice President Harris is bringing to the top of the Democratic ticket, we expect to see huge increases in youth voter turnout here in Arkansas this year as well,” Ross said.
Swift support
Harris quickly gained support in the short time that followed Biden’s announcements on Sunday. In the first 24 hours, donors contributed more than $95 million to Democratic causes.
According to a survey from The Associated Press updated Tuesday morning, Harris has earned enough delegate support to become the Democratic nominee. The AP is not calling her the “new presumptive nominee,” however, because delegates are still free to vote for their choice of candidate at the convention in August.
While members of the Arkansas delegation could still change their nominee pick, officials said Tuesday that members planned to cast their vote for Harris at the convention in Chicago.
Democratic delegates swiftly give Harris enough support to clinch presidential nomination
In a statement Monday evening, the Arkansas delegation praised Harris for consistently demonstrating “her dedication to justice, equality, and responsible governance throughout her career.”
Harris has yet to name her running mate, and Tennille said Tuesday he didn’t have a personal preference if they were selected before or during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.
Cotton said she trusted Harris’ judgment to select an appropriate vice president and Harris’ wisdom, knowledge and experience in the position “will give her a segue into picking someone that is compatible with her and for the people.”
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic Party of Arkansas chose 36 delegates in June to represent the state at the national convention that begins in Chicago on Aug. 19.
State Rep. Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, is one of the three dozen delegates, and she said in an interview Tuesday afternoon that Harris is the “face of a bright future.”
McCullough, who is married to a prosecutor, said she saw value in Harris’ experience in that profession, and she will be skilled in “tearing apart an argument” and will “stand up to injustices.”
McCullough also said she thought it was time the United States elected a woman as president.
Jamie Scott, a delegate and Democratic state representative from North Little Rock, said on X Monday evening that the “ascendance of [Harris] to be our party’s new nominee has brought a historic resurgence of energy and enthusiasm to the Democratic Party.”
National party officials say they want to have a virtual roll call of state delegations before the convention begins to make sure the Democratic nominee appears on every state ballot.
Some states have ballot certification deadlines prior to the convention; Arkansas’ is Aug 22, the last day of the Democratic National Convention.
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