California鈥檚 nearly 500 delegates to the Democratic National Convention next month will play a key role in choosing a replacement nominee now that President Joe Biden has ended his reelection campaign.
As they processed the thunderbolt announcement today, some of them quickly fell in line with his wishes: End the drama and close ranks behind Vice President .
鈥淚 feel this huge sense of relief, because it means the fighting is going to stop,鈥� said Mike Thaller, chairperson of the California Democratic Party senior caucus, who was watching PBS鈥� 鈥淭his Old House鈥� when a friend called him with the news.
Following weeks of concerns about his cognitive health and public pressure to drop out, fueled by a disastrous televised debate performance in late June, Biden in which he acknowledged, 鈥淚 believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.鈥�
Like millions of Americans, the Californians who are set to travel to Chicago in mid-August to select the Democratic Party鈥檚 nominee for president were in shock in the immediate aftermath of the revelation. But they told CalMatters that they are also excited about participating in a historic moment and hopeful that, after weeks of turmoil, Biden鈥檚 momentous decision 鈥� which included endorsing Harris as his replacement 鈥� could turn around Democratic prospects of stopping another term for former President Donald Trump.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 time to mess around,鈥� said Brian Calder贸n Tabatabai, the mayor of West Covina who is also running for a state Assembly seat, recovering quickly from being 鈥渋n a haze鈥� after hearing the news on his way to brunch. 鈥淩ight now is the time to show we as the Democratic Party have our things together, and this isn鈥檛 the chaos a lot of folks are making it seem.鈥�
Sasha Ren茅e P茅rez, the mayor of Alhambra who is running for state Senate, said she hoped that Harris would help motivate voters who hadn鈥檛 been paying attention to the election before now, boosting fundraising and turnout in swing districts as Democrats also fight to regain control of the House in November.
鈥淪he comes from our home state. She鈥檚 a Black woman, an Indian woman. We鈥檝e just never had anyone like her be our candidate,鈥� P茅rez said. 鈥淲e have to get this show on the road and get her elected.鈥�
Become a CalMatters member today to stay informed, bolster our nonpartisan news and expand knowledge across California.Taking Biden鈥檚 signal, Democrats across the country 鈥� leaders of key caucuses in Congress, party activists, even former 鈥� quickly closed ranks behind Harris, dampening the prospects of an open convention in which delegates might choose from among a field of candidates after a flash primary.
California鈥檚 Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been , was slower to fall in line. Newsom praising Biden as an 鈥渆xtraordinary, history-making president,鈥� but did not immediately endorse Harris, whom he had said in recent weeks that . His spokespeople did not respond for hours to questions about how he would like to see the party select a replacement nominee, though this afternoon, he eventually that 鈥渘o one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump鈥檚 dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction鈥� than Harris.
Also initially endorsing Harris was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly played an outsized role in and told fellow California Democrats that to select a replacement. On Monday, Pelosi in a statement, calling her 鈥渂rilliantly astute 鈥� and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.鈥�
None of the delegates who spoke with CalMatters said they had alternative candidates in mind, pointing toward a more likely competition to be Harris鈥� vice presidential pick.
鈥淚鈥檒l be surprised if anyone else gets into it,鈥� said Sal Rosselli, president emeritus of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, calling Harris the 鈥渙bvious choice to replace him.鈥�
Harris drew criticism from left-wing critics during the 2020 primaries over her record as a prosecutor and California鈥檚 attorney general. Progressive activists and criminal justice reformers have criticized her and called her .
But it wasn鈥檛 enough to dissuade progressive delegate Calder贸n Tabatabai. He called Harris 鈥渉ighly, highly ready to take over鈥� for Biden and praised both for pushing a progressive domestic policy agenda, including efforts to expand workers鈥� rights.
鈥淭hose are issues,鈥� he said of Harris鈥� record on criminal justice. 鈥淎re those issues something that would get me to say, 鈥楴o, I鈥檇 like to see someone different at this point?鈥� Not now. Not when I understand what Project 2025 is,鈥� he said, referring to the .
Igor Tregub, a city councilmember in Berkeley who supported the progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential primaries, said he was won over by how much the Biden-Harris administration accomplished during the past four years.
鈥淚 have seen how hard she works every single day on so many issues that I as a Democrat care about,鈥� Tregub said. 鈥淚 am ready to work at 200% to support her and whoever she picks as her vice presidential candidate.鈥�
Most delegates who spoke with CalMatters emphasized how the party should avoid the drama and contention of an open convention, especially in light of .
鈥淒emocrats need to focus on what we鈥檙e bringing to the table for working families and Americans, and [the convention] not being a circular firing squad,鈥� said political strategist Bill Wong. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care who the nominee is at this point, as long as we have a plan to hold the White House in November.鈥�
In addition, there would be particularly challenging optics of passing on Harris, a mixed-race Black and Indian American woman, who was selected as Biden鈥檚 vice president partly as an acknowledgement of the crucial role Black women voters play in the Democratic coalition.
鈥淥bviously we want to respect and support the people who helped get us here in 2020, and that鈥檚 Black women. We shouldn鈥檛 forget them,鈥� said Dan Kalmick, a city councilmember in Huntington Beach.
Some delegates were more optimistic about the state of the race with Harris鈥� apparently easy path toward the nomination, citing her forceful statements supporting reproductive rights as a way to win women voters in swing states and the fact that she鈥檚 significantly younger than former President Donald Trump.
鈥淩epublicans have spent months telling voters the Democrats had an old guy running, and that boomerang just hit them,鈥� longtime Democratic strategist Bob Mulholland said. 鈥淗arris should challenge the old man Trump to a 100-meter race to settle this.鈥�
No delegates that CalMatters spoke to disagreed with Biden鈥檚 decision and several praised him for eventually deciding to do what he believes is best for the country and not just himself.
鈥淚 know this decision cements his legacy,鈥� Tregub said. 鈥淗istory will judge him kindly for his long and meaningful history of in so many ways advancing not just the best of what the Democratic agenda has to offer, but the best of America.鈥�
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