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Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo courtesy of the White House.
Shortly after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek the nomination, Wisconsin’s Democratic leaders, who serve as delegates to the Democratic National Convention, released a statement praising Biden and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
All of the Democrats representing Wisconsin in the U.S. House and Senate have endorsed Harris.
“Today, I am proud to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president of the United States,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said in a statement. “I hope her candidacy marks a new beginning for our party and our nation. I am excited to work with her to ease the burden on Wisconsin families, grow our American-made economy, and restore our fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Wisconsin Reps. Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore also issued statements in support of Harris.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who hosted the recently concluded Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and will serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention next month, said in a statement, “Just as we have worked hard to support President Joe Biden, we will now do everything in our power to help elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States.”
Wisconsin Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, one of the delegates, posted a photo of herself with Harris on X, writing, “Go KamalaHarris! Ready to shatter the glass ceiling in the presidential race! #MoveForward.”
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Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler issued a statement praising Biden as “one of our nation’s greatest presidents and a transformative leader who has dedicated his life to serving our country” and stressed the importance of “the fight to defeat MAGA extremism and win the battle for the soul of America,” but stopped short of endorsing Harris.
Similarly, Gov. Tony Evers praised Biden in a statement but did not endorse Harris.
“President Biden’s decision today does not change the fact that the choice is clear in the November election: Donald Trump wants to be a dictator from day one in office,” Evers said. “We have much work ahead of us, and Wisconsin Democrats and I will spend every moment of every day for the next 107 days working to defeat Trump.”
Wisconsin will send 95 delegates and seven alternates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19 to 22. Biden’s endorsement of Harris could persuade delegates who have released their pledge to support Biden to vote for Harris at the convention, but they are under no obligation to do so.
Harris vowed to “fight” for the delegate votes in Chicago.
Wisconsin is one of several close battleground states that could determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
The post Wisconsin Democrats endorse Kamala Harris after Biden withdraws was originally published by The Wisconsin Examiner.
