Democratic Party of Arkansas leaders are voicing their full-throated support for Vice President Kamala Harris to serve as their party’s presidential nominee after President Joe Biden announced his intention not to seek re-election.
The party’s 36 delegates to the Democratic National Convention voted unanimously to support Harris in a meeting Monday night, the day after Biden’s announcement. In a virtual news conference Tuesday, DPA Chair Grant Tennille called Monday’s meeting a “truly exciting event for the state of Arkansas.”
“It came together incredibly quickly. I could tell by the time we got on the call which way the thing was going to go, and that led me to call for a voice vote almost immediately, and was not surprised to hear it come back unanimous” he said.
DPA Vice Chair Jannie Cotton said she supported Biden’s re-election bid until the very end, but is excited for the prospect of the country’s first woman of Black and South Asian descent to hold the office of president.
“I’m also excited to see a Black woman who I adore to step up to the plate. She’s going to hit home runs, she’s already got our community… we’re getting people coming to the Democratic Party office asking how they can help with her campaign,” she said.
While most Democrats seem to be united behind Harris as their presidential nominee, Republicans have criticized the speed at which Harris has garnered support, arguing that voters should have the chance to decide on a nominee through something resembling the primary election process. Tennille rebuffed that notion, saying Harris has already been vetted by the American people.
“Is there a primary for vice president? No. She is the vice president, so when people voted for [Biden] in this primary process, they knew they were voting for her too,” Tennille said.
NBC News reports Harris’ campaign has requested vetting materials for several potential running mates, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. While not mentioning anyone specifically by name, Tennille said he would throw support behind any of Harris’ likely picks for vice president.
“I want somebody in the same mold that Vice President Harris has played in the last three and three-quarters years; energetic, with strong policy knowledge of their own, and an ability to get in and work hard on behalf of the American people to materially improve their lives,” he said. “Virtually every mainstream name I’ve heard so far would make a fantastic candidate.”
Tennille added he expects Harris’ likely nomination to have an impact on down-ballot races in Arkansas, particularly in competitive districts with a large African American population. He highlighted the candidacy of Lincoln Barnett in state House District 63 and Jessie McGruder in House District 35 in eastern Arkansas, both currently held by retiring Democratic incumbents.
“Do I feel like there is new excitement, new energy, new desire to really get out and work in the Black community in Arkansas? You bet I do,” Tennille said.
Tennille also responded to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who called on Biden to resign the presidency in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
“Not fit to run for president, not fit to serve as president. Biden should resign immediately,” the statement reads.
“Those are just words strung together, there’s no legal precedent for what she’s saying. That’s an absurdity,” Tennille said. “So if it’s Monday, then she’s not fit to serve as governor. Those two statements are factually the same thing.”
In all, Tennille hoped the switch to Harris would energize younger voters to become more active in Democratic Party politics, noting Arkansas is one of the few states to have a higher youth voter turnout in 2022 than in 2018.
“Arkansas Democrats live life in the margins right now. We are looking for those juicy races where we’re within three figures, and she’s got the potential to make a real difference in those places. All we’re about is trying to bust that [Republican] supermajority, and we’re going to do it one race at a time.”
The Democratic National Convention is set to kick off in Chicago on August 19.
