- Slug: BC-CNS-Harris Arizona Democrats. 970 words.
- Photos available.
By Alex Cunningham and Grey Gartin
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – Arizona’s Democratic delegates, federal lawmakers and governor have rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new presidential nominee.
President Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday upended the race for the White House, and he quickly endorsed his vice president. Democrats around the country have followed his lead.
“There is an outpouring of endorsements and support from Democratic Party officials and delegates here in Arizona, and we look forward to her being our nominee,” Lupe Conchas, a vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, said Monday.
By Monday evening, Harris had rounded up enough delegate support to clinch the nomination, according to a survey from the Associated Press.
Sen. Mark Kelly – touted as a potential running mate – threw his support to her within hours of Biden dropping out.
Gov. Katie Hobbs waited more than 24 hours, long after most other Democratic governors had weighed in.
“As the last few weeks have made clear, Americans are looking for a new generation of leadership that will move past the divisiveness and unite us around our shared American values. I believe that leader is Vice President Harris,” Hobbs said in a statement. “I look forward to working with her to lower costs for Arizonans, restore reproductive freedom, and defend our democratic rights.”
A number of state Democratic parties moved quickly to form a united front.
In Pennsylvania, a key swing state, all 159 delegates pledged to support Harris. Delegates from North Carolina and Tennessee also offered unanimous support, according to the parties and news outlets. Delegates in Louisiana and Kentucky gave overwhelming support to Harris as Biden’s replacement.
Late Monday, the Arizona Democratic Party announced that Harris has the “unequivocal endorsement” of its executive board and county chairs.
Patti O’Neil, the Maricopa County Democratic chair and a delegate from the Fountain Hills area, said she has received texts and calls from many other delegates thrilled about a Harris candidacy.
“I’m super excited,” she said, adding that she was “stunned” that Biden dropped out. “She’s been right at his side. It’s always been a two-person ticket.”
As for who should serve as Harris’ running mate, she name-checked Kelly but said, “I am confident that whoever she picks, it will be the right pick.”
Llama Habern, an educational coordinator for the state party and a delegate from the 2nd Congressional District, sees Harris’ nomination reigniting enthusiasm among grassroots activists – and maybe setting the table for a less predictable convention than usual.
This is a “time for unity, not division,” Habern said, but “we have no idea what to expect at this point, and that’s exciting.”
Democrats will converge on Chicago in four weeks – and Harris is working hard to eliminate any suspense well before then. She has contacted hundreds of party leaders and activists since Biden passed the baton on Sunday.
His announcement came as a huge relief for Democrats stricken with anxiety since his disastrous debate against Donald Trump last month. Many were deeply alarmed about his capacity to defeat the former president, let alone serve another four years.
At 59, Harris is 22 years younger than Biden.
While she isn’t exactly popular, she’s much less unpopular than the incumbent. Calls for her to take the reins came swiftly after the debate.
All three Arizona Democrats in the U.S. House have publicly backed her as the next nominee: Reps. Raúl Grijalva of Tucson, and Greg Stanton and Ruben Gallego of Phoenix.
Grijalva and Stanton were among the first congressional Democrats to publicly call on Biden to step down.
“The contrast in this race could not be clearer – a prosecutor versus a convicted felon,” Stanton posted on X. “A champion for Americans’ fundamental freedoms versus a man who has tried to rip them away at every turn.”
Grijalva emphasized the need to defeat the “right-wing manifesto” called Project 2025, a plan for the next Trump administration crafted by some of his top advisers and allies at the right-wing Heritage Foundation.
Kelly, the Democratic senator, called Harris the “person to defeat Donald Trump.”
“She will make a great president, and her strong, steadfast leadership will save lives,” his wife, former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, posted on X.
Gallego, angling to succeed independent Sen. Kysten Sinema, warned that reproductive rights hinge both on Harris’ victory and his own; he’s expected to face former gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and her counterparts in Tempe and Tucson – all delegates – signed a letter of support for Harris with 250 other mayors nationwide on Monday.
Attorney General Kris Mayes has also voiced support for the vice president.
Biden carried Arizona by just over 10,000 votes in 2020.
The substitution of Harris could scramble the race, though it’s not yet clear how.
Trump has stumped once in Arizona. Harris has been a frequent flyer with visits to Phoenix in March, April and June focused on reproductive health care and access to abortion – a signature issue for her.
Delegates such as Robert Branscromb of Maricopa County, a vice chair of the state party, see Harris as a huge asset at the top of the ticket.
“She is a human being. She is not from the elite class,” he said. “She understands the needs of the American people. She’s been a prosecutor, so she understands the law. She understands some of the trials and tribulation and the effects that the law has on the average person.”
Cronkite News correspondents Benjamin Adelberg, Aoife Kane and Sahara Sajjadi contributed to this report.
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
