Indiana delegates unanimously unite behind VP Kamala Harris for President

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schumhl, pictured at the Indiana Democratic Convention on June 13, 2024, said the state's delegates are "unattached" to political campaigns following the end of President Joe Biden's reelection campaign. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Indiana’s Democratic delegates unanimously voted Monday to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the party nominee for president ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention next month. 

The virtual vote comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s decision not to pursue a second term, dropping out of the campaign with just over 100 days left until the November general election.

“Vice President Kamala Harris has already made history by serving in our nation’s second-highest office. She is tenacious, skilled, and powerful, and we are proud to endorse her as the next President of the United States so that she can continue the legacy of unprecedented job growth, historically low unemployment, and fighting for reproductive freedom in all 50 states,” Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl said in a statement.

“As she served by President Biden’s side these past three and a half years, America has had the privilege of watching her continuously fight for the rights of marginalized individuals and working families. Our party stands behind her at this moment, and we are ready to work to usher in a new generation of leadership in our state and nation – and defeat Trumpism at the ballot box once more.”

The Hoosier State will have 88 delegates attending the August Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month — all of whom voted for Harris Monday night.

Though Harris is in a strong position to be named the party’s nominee at its convention, she has to win the support of roughly 4,000 delegates. Schmuhl previously said Indiana’s delegates are “unattached” and free to vote for Harris even though Biden won the primary.

As of Monday, no other politicians have indicated their intention to oppose Harris’ nomination — meaning that while party officials have called for an open and transparent race, it might not be one with a lot of competition. 

Last weekend, at the state nominating convention, the Democratic party’s resolutions committee advanced a resolution supporting the Biden-Harris campaign even as several prominent national politicians urged him to step aside. But now delegates must decide whether to align themselves with Harris and an unknown running mate. 

“Joe Biden, in three-and-a-half years, has been an exceptional president,” Schmuhl said. “… I think Democrats from around the state wanted to show their support of him as a man and as president. 

“But now that reality, just a little over a week later, is drastically different. It was his decision and his decision alone to step aside. And so that resolution, while it was powerful, is now in the rearview mirror and we need to get to the work of building a ticket, of being behind that ticket (and) making sure that we’re all working together to beat Donald Trump again in November.”

Harris on the Indiana ballot

To be on the ballot, Schmuhl must certify to the Indiana Election Division the winner of the national convention as the party’s nominee for president by noon eastern standard time on Sept. 10 — the same deadline for the Republican party to certify Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, as clarified by the Secretary of State’s Office on Monday.

Had Biden dropped out after the county deadline to print ballots on Sept. 16, then any votes for Biden would have gone to his successor.

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The nomination and potential election of Harris — a woman who is Black and South Asian — as president would check off several firsts for the party and nation. With just over 100 days until the November election, no presidential candidate has stepped down this close to the race. 

However, several national political observers note advantages for Harris, including the near-seamless transition of the 1,000-plus campaign staffers from Biden’s run to her campaign. Additionally, due to the joint nature of the campaign’s coffers, she shouldn’t have trouble accessing the $96 million held by the campaign as recently as June 30. 

In the 24 hours since Biden announced his departure from the race, the super PAC Future Forward announced it had received $150 million in new commitments from major Democratic donors, as reported by Politico. 

In addition to Biden’s endorsement, Harris has also won a nod from the Clintons and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — though several other prominent Democrats, including the Obamas, have yet to endorse her. 

Buttigieg on the national stage?

With Harris’ abrupt campaign promotion, attention has turned to selecting a running mate. Some have urged Harris to pick a female candidate, like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, while others point to moderate candidates from crucial swing states, like Arizona’s U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.

But a shortlist from Politico includes one name familiar to Hoosiers: former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Notably, the Hoosier State has produced the most vice presidents of any state with six officeholders.

Schmuhl, who served as campaign manager for Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential run, highlighted several reasons he believed “Mayor Pete” would be an ideal candidate for vice president. 

“There’s a number of fantastic people that are being floated to be Kamala Harris’ running mate and I will put in a plug for Secretary Buttigieg,” Schmuhl said. “First thing’s first, it’s hard to find a better communicator in the Democratic Party. From his sparring with Republicans on Capitol Hill, to going on Fox News … he is a very effective communicator in deploying the Democratic message every single day.”

Buttigieg, who served seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, is also the only openly gay man to have served in a cabinet position as Biden’s secretary of transportation. 

His Midwest roots make him an ideal candidate, Schmuhl said, adding that Buttigieg now lives in Michigan, one of six crucial swing states in the 2024 election. Having previously run for president and working as the secretary of transportation for the last three-plus years means he’s already been vetted by national media, Schmuhl said. 

But his biggest advantage might be something over which he has no control: his age. At 42, Buttigieg is the youngest of nine potential vice presidential picks compiled by Politico in a race where age has dominated headlines. 

Only a few years separate Biden and Trump — who are 81 and 78, respectively — and mental acuity and health issues have long been cited as concerns for the candidates, especially after Biden’s poor debate performance. Harris, at 59, is 19 years younger than Trump and Trump’s own vice presidential pick is nearly four decades younger.

“What we’ve seen over the last … 24 hours is there’s just an excitement and energy behind Kamala Harris and what she can bring to the table and taking the fight to Donald Trump,” Schmuhl said. “And, obviously, Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate. J.D. Vance is 39 years old. I think that having youth and really showing that next generation — or generations — of leadership … is really, really important.”

Delegates at the Republican National Convention formally selected Vance as the party’s nominee for vice president last week in Milwaukee. Vance is one of the two U.S. Senators for Ohio and was elected in 2022.

This story will be updated.

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