Local and state politicians have joined the wave of endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the Democratic nomination.
Credit: Ethan YoungDemocratic politicians in Pennsylvania are rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee following President Joe Biden’s unprecedented decision to withdraw from the race on Sunday afternoon.
Biden’s decision marks the first time the presidential nominee of a major party has dropped out during their general election campaign. Later Sunday afternoon, Harris released a statement confirming her intent to fight for the nomination and “do everything in [her] power to unite the Democratic party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
While Harris is expected to receive the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, she is not yet guaranteed her spot on the ballot in November — though she faces a clear path to it in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s delegates to the DNC unanimously pledged their support to Harris in a meeting Monday afternoon.
If nominated, Harris would be the first woman of color to be the presidential nominee of a major political party.
Many Democratic politicians in Pennsylvania have expressed support for Kamala Harris and praised Joe Biden’s distinguished political career as it nears its conclusion. They also emphasized the importance of unity within the Democratic Party.
In a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called Biden a “patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history.”
He went on to fully endorse Harris as she pursues the Democratic nomination, highlighting their shared backgrounds as prosecutors and people who have “stood up for the rule of law” and “fought for the people and delivered results.”
“The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania — where this collective work began,” Shapiro wrote. “I will do everything I can to help elect [Kamala Harris] as the 47th President of the United States.”
The newly repainted picture of the upcoming election leaves the spot of vice president blank on the Democratic ticket, and Shapiro has emerged as a top contender for the position. Other names being floated for the position include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. and current Penn professor Ed Rendell called Biden’s decision to step down selfless and “the toughest thing a politician can do.”
“If we defeat Donald Trump in November, Joe Biden deserves a lot of the credit,” he told The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Rendell had previously backed Biden’s choice to remain in the race and urged Democrats to “take a deep breath” in an interview with the DP, even while many called for Biden to concede the nomination following his performance in the June 27 presidential debate.
DNC delegate Gianni Hill, a 2023 College graduate and student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, recognized that the president’s decision may not have been one anyone reasonably expected a month ago but accepted it all the same.
“Country over party over self,” he told the DP.
He expressed confidence that the Democratic Party will be unified behind Harris coming out of the convention next month.
“Democrats have to get their shit together, that’s for sure,” he added. “We’re in uncharted territories. I think we are going to be spending the next two [to] three weeks having a very robust party family discussion about the best way forward. And then we go into the convention, we make those nominations, we solidify our ticket, and we come out ready to win in November.”
He also called Shapiro a “front runner” in Pennsylvania for the vice president position.
In a statement on X, Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) fully endorsed Harris and expressed gratitude for Biden stepping up in 2020 after eight years of vice presidency to “end the disastrous tenure of Donald Trump and clean up the mess and chaos that Trump left behind.”
Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, whose district includes Penn, also released a statement in support of Biden.
“I will never forget how [Biden] and Vice President Kamala Harris stood up for our fundamental rights, led us out of the pandemic, rebuilt our economy, boldly invested in infrastructure and sustainability, and defended democracy,” she wrote. “We all owe President Biden a debt of gratitude for his decades of service to our nation. I can’t wait to see what he and the Vice President accomplish during the next six months of their term.”
Other major Pennsylvania Democrats who have endorsed Harris include Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Philadelphia Mayor and 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate Cherelle Parker.
“… to my fellow Democrats, we cannot fall prey to any effort to divide the Democratic party or to confuse the efforts to make Kamala Harris the Democratic nominee for President,” Parker wrote in a statement on X.
In the weeks leading up to Biden’s announcement, Pennsylvania Democratic officials supported Biden’s pursuit of the nomination, even after his flawed performance at the June 27 presidential debate. Parker, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Fetterman, and Shapiro, all were seen with Biden during a campaign visit to Pennsylvania in early July.
Following Biden’s announcement, the 3,896 Democratic delegates pledged to him during the initial nomination process will be released to support a new nominee.
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