Indiana Democratic delegates unite around Harris
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Indiana's Democratic delegation voted Monday night to support Vice President Harris' bid for the 2024 presidential nomination, following President Biden's decision Sunday to bow out of the race.
Why it matters: Just hours after Biden dropped his bid for re-election, Harris moved quickly to lock down support and made her nomination a foregone conclusion ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), set to start Aug. 19.
- Delegates from Indiana and elsewhere who were once pledged to Biden are now determining the path forward.
Driving the news: Indiana's 88 delegates voted unanimously to endorse Harris on a Zoom call.
- Earlier in the day, Joe Donnelly, a former U.S. Senator and Vatican ambassador who is chair of Indiana's delegation to the DNC, told Axios that he personally supports Harris but each delegate gets their own vote.
- He said "at some point" soon there would be a discussion to see if the delegation wanted to endorse Harris.
Yes, but: It's important that state delegates coalesce around Harris, rather than having it look like she's been slid into place without any say from the party faithful, said Raymond Haberski Jr., professor of history and director of American studies at IU Indianapolis.
- Party unity will be key, he said, if Democrats want a chance at beating Trump in November.
- "It's going to be historically important," he said. "We will point back to this moment."
The big picture: The state party and several other leading Hoosier Democratic voices like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have also said it's time to back Harris.
- "Now is the time to unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump and continue the progress of the last three-plus years," Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl said in a statement.
Reality check: Indiana's role in the presidential election is pretty inconsequential.
- The state is already considered a lock for Trump, meaning the campaigns aren't likely to spend many resources courting Hoosier voters.
What we're watching: Harris will be in Indianapolis Wednesday for the Zeta Phi Beta's national conference, giving comments during a social justice town hall.