New Hampshire Democratic officials unite around Harris, seeking smooth convention vote

Then-Sen. Kamala Harris introduces Joe Biden at a campaign rally at Renaissance High School on March 9, 2020, in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Olson | Getty Images)

New Hampshire Democrats coalesced behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the preferred Democratic nominee for president Sunday evening, choosing to unify after hours of uncertainty following President Joe Biden’s decision to not seek a second term.

In a closed-to-press meeting Sunday evening, the entire slate of 25 New Hampshire pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention agreed to endorse Harris, heading off any potential division ahead of the convention in a month, according to a press release from the Democratic Party.

“Vice President Kamala Harris is phenomenally qualified – she has served as a prosecutor, California’s Attorney General, a United States Senator, and as Vice President,” the joint statement read. “She is a trailblazer, and she is not done in her service to our nation.”

The delegates’ announcement followed other endorsements of Harris from New Hampshire politicians, including from Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas. 

The moves signaled an effort in the Granite State to shore up support for Harris even as some national Democrats have expressed support for an open nomination process when Democratic delegates meet in Chicago beginning Aug. 19. 

And they came months after New Hampshire’s delegation had its own period of tumult when the state held a rogue primary in January against the wishes of the Democratic National Committee, a decision that threatened New Hampshire’s ability to send all of its delegates to the convention. After the state delegates pledged support for Biden in April, the DNC later voted to allow all of the state’s delegates to count at the convention, despite defying the party and holding the primary.

Biden made the momentous announcement on Sunday afternoon, writing in a letter released on social media that “while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I 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.” Biden, 81, had faced intense calls from fellow Democrats to step down following concerns over his age and abilities following a halting debate performance against former President Donald Trump in June.

In the weeks after the debate – and the hours after Biden’s announcement Sunday – speculation surrounded potential replacements for the top of the ticket; with some urging the party to rally behind Harris and some proposing other prominent Democrats such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, or Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. After his announcement Sunday, Biden endorsed his vice president and urged Democrats to support her as the nominee; Whitmer, Pritzker, and Shapiro have since endorsed her, too. 

It is not yet clear when and how Democratic delegates might vote for their nominee. Some have pushed for a vote on the floor during the convention late next month. Others say the more than 4,000 delegates should hold a virtual roll call in the coming weeks to avoid a law in Ohio that could require the party to name a nominee before Aug. 7. While Ohio lawmakers have passed a fix to that law extending the deadline, some Democrats are worried the fix could be challenged in court. 

New Hampshire’s Democratic convention delegation was one of a handful of state delegations to unanimously endorse Harris on the day of the president’s announcement; others included Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. So far, no other Democrats have put their name forward publicly to challenge Harris at the convention. 

To Jim Demers, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state and one of New Hampshire’s 25 pledged delegates, the choice of Harris reflects the diverse makeup of the country. And he said she would be the most prepared candidate to carry on the campaign. 

“She does not need to be brought up to speed on any of the issues or any of the policies, because she’s been working hand in hand with the president,” he said in an interview Sunday night. “And so I think this is a very easy transition to somebody who represents the same policies that Joe Biden did, policies that ensure (action on) a woman’s right to choose, climate change, and economic prosperity for people.” 

But the delegation’s vote was not pre-ordained. In an interview shortly before the meeting and vote, Demers said he was open to hearing out candidates other than Harris and allowing for a more contested process before making a choice. After the meeting Sunday, Demers endorsed Harris with the rest of the delegation. 

In a follow-up interview Sunday night, Demers said no other candidate jumping in would change his support for Harris. “We are rock solid,” he said. 

Some New Hampshire Democrats also paused initially before endorsing the vice president. While Kuster, who is retiring this year, quickly backed Harris, Pappas, who is running for re-election in the 1st Congressional District, took more time to do so. Pappas’ endorsement announcement came at 9:22 p.m, shortly after the Democratic delegation announced its own support. 

Republicans in New Hampshire quickly began criticizing Harris and the process that would put her in place at the top of the ticket. 

“Kamala Harris came in 14th place in NH in 2020 after withdrawing,” read a post on X by the New Hampshire Republican Party. “This year, Biden skipped FITN, not even appearing on the ballot. Joe Biden received more than 14 million primary votes to become the nominee. The UnDemocratic party is now going to coronate his Vice President as nominee?” 

But in interviews Sunday and Monday, New Hampshire Democratic delegates said they viewed Harris as a natural successor despite some concerns about missteps as vice president. 

Bill Barry, a Manchester alderman and Democratic delegate, praised Harris’ “proven record.” And he said while he supports individual delegates making their own choices, he hopes the rest of the party will follow suit and unite around the vice president.

“We need to move forward now, you know?” he said. “The convention isn’t until the week of August 19.” 

Rob Werner, a delegate and the state director of the New Hampshire League of Conservation Voters, agreed, saying Harris could carry the mantle of Biden’s policies, which he supported. 

“I’m very excited about it,” Werner said. “I think we were frankly heading into a very difficult political situation, and this is a reset.”

For retiring state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, Biden’s retirement is personal. D’Allesandro has known the president for years; he introduced Biden at his first New Hampshire rally of the 2020 campaign, in Manchester in 2019. As recently as Saturday, D’Allesandro said that he hoped Biden would stay in the race – “America needs his leadership,” he wrote on X.

But by Sunday afternoon, D’Allesandro, too, said he would put his energy behind Harris. 

“I am going to stay as active as I can,” he said. “I’ll kiss every baby in New Hampshire. I’ll hug everybody. I’ll travel around the world if they want me to. I will do anything I can.” 

Melanie Levesque, a delegate and former state senator who is running this year for an Executive Council seat, was a Biden supporter to the end. But after the president’s decision, and the delegation meeting Sunday, she felt refreshed, she said.

“This morning, when I woke up, I was extremely hopeful, where I have not been for the past several days,” she said. 

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