COLUMBIA, S.C. — Following President Joe Biden’s announcement to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, he immediately turned to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee.
Among those quickly backing Harris is the South Carolina delegation to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Following Biden’s endorsement of Harris, the South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) met to vote on whether they, too, would endorse the vice president.
“I was surprised he would step away from the presidency, and I was definitely sad that he felt he had to do that in order to help move the country forward,” said SCDP Chairman Christale Spain.
Spain said her initial sadness over Biden’s decision turned into excitement as his endorsement of Harris generated enthusiasm. A significant reason why the SCDP was quick to publicly endorse Harris.
“The overwhelming majority were on board to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. The South Carolina delegation understands that we already had a very open and transparent primary process, and they understand the sense of urgency,” Spain explained.
As the number of delegates pledging to back Harris continues to rise, University of South Carolina political science professor Chase Meyers outlined the challenges ahead.
“It’s great people are excited about her, but that doesn't get her the nomination. The only thing that will get her the nomination is the loyalty and the votes of those delegates. Again, 90 percent of them were pledged Biden loyalists. So, these aren’t just random Democrats that will be voting in the convention; these are Biden loyalists. Will they listen to their boss, Joe Biden, saying, ‘I endorse Kamala Harris’? Most likely,” Meyers said.
While it is not certain whether all of Biden’s delegates will support Harris as the new candidate, Spain believes voters are eager for the change.
“We are excited that voters are excited about Vice President Harris, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure we are successful in November,” Spain said.
Harris made her first appearance Monday morning since Biden’s announcement, attending a White House event honoring college athletes. While she did not go into great detail about Biden’s decision to drop out, she commended him for his service, saying his legacy is “unmatched in modern history.”
Biden is expected to address the nation in greater detail about his decision sometime this week.