Top Minnesota Democrats quickly back Harris as nominee
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Vice President Kamala Harris secured President Biden's endorsement after he dropped out of the 2024 race. Photo: Chris duMond/Getty Images
Minnesota's most influential Democrats rushed to back Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's nominee after President Biden dropped from the race.
The big picture: Biden's decision, announced via a letter on Sunday, introduced a seismic and historic shift in the 2024 presidential race less than a month before the Democratic National Convention, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
State of play: While Biden quickly endorsed Harris to succeed him as nominee, other leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, stopped short of naming a favorite on Sunday.
What they're saying: Minnesota DFL Party chair Ken Martin, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum were among those who swiftly threw their support behind Harris on Sunday.
- "Vice President Harris has served our country with honor and distinction, and she will be the candidate to bring us together to win in November," Klobuchar wrote in a post on X.
The latest: Gov. Tim Walz, who serves as chair of the Democratic Governors Association and co-chair of the convention's rules committee, and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig followed suit on Monday morning.
Yes, but: U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who challenged Biden for the nomination, called for a straw poll of delegates followed by a series of televised forums ahead of a vote at the convention.
The intrigue: Walz's name has been floated as a potential VP pick for Harris, though he's not considered in the top tier of potential picks.
Zoom in: More than 40% of Minnesota's 93 delegates to the DNC told MPR News that they wanted Harris to be the nominee.
- Fifteen said they weren't sure or declined to comment. The rest couldn't be reached as of 8pm Sunday.
The other side: Minnesota Republicans argued that Biden should resign immediately, joining a national pile-on from GOP leaders.
- "If the Democrat party has deemed Joe Biden unfit to run for re-election, he's certainly unfit to control our nuclear codes," U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP whip and chair of Trump's campaign in Minnesota, said on X.
What we're watching: How the shake-up impacts the political state of play in Minnesota.
- Top election forecasters were predicting a more competitive race here in the wake of Biden's debate performance.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include endorsements from Walz and Craig.