Nevada congressional Democrats back Harris as nominee

Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning in Las Vegas in early July. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Nevada Democrats praised the achievements of President Joe Biden and his administration after he announced he was bowing out of the presidential race Sunday, and some Democrats and allied organizations wasted little time before echoing Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I cannot thank President Biden enough for saving America’s democracy in 2020 and paving the way for a new era of leadership,” said Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in a statement. “I look forward to supporting Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket so we can once again defeat Donald Trump and far-right extremism.”

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, had been an outspoken defender of Biden continuing at the top of the ticket in recent weeks. But Sunday Horsford, in a statement issued jointly with Gregory Meeks, chair of the CBC’s Political Action Committee, said they were “fully supporting Kamala Harris as our party’s nominee.” 

Sen. Jacky Rosen, who is being challenged in a competitive relection contest by Republican Sam Brown, has refrained from endorsing or even mentioning Biden’s name in statements since Biden’s shocking debate performance last month.

In an initial statement Sunday, Rosen continued keeping the Democratic presidential ticket at arm’s length, saying she is “focused on my job working for Nevada and continuing my record as one of the most bipartisan, independent, and effective Senators.” 

However within hours Rosen issued another statement saying Harris “has my support as she works to earn and win the Democratic nomination.”

Similarly, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto issued an initial statement in which she praised Biden but refrained from commenting on the top of her party’s ticket going forward. But later Sunday Cortez Masto endored Harris, saying “Harris has the experience and proven record to be our next President. She’s a fighter who we can count on to deliver for our working families, defend women’s rights, and protect our democracy – and I’m proud to stand with her.”

Rep. Dina Titus issued an initial statement saying Biden “has made the most difficult decision of his five decades of public service,” adding, “Ultimately, he chose to put the interests of his nation above himself. That is the essence of a great President.”

And like Rosen and Cortez Masto, Titus later in the afternoon issued a statement saying “It is time for Democrats to unite behind Kamala Harris as our nominee.”

Nevada Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, in a joint statement with his Democratic Attorney Generals’ Association co-chair  Kathy Jennnings of Delaware, did not explicitly back Harris as the nominee. But Ford in subsequent statements endorsed Harris.

While stopping short of explicitly endorsing Harris as the nominee, the Nevada State Democratic Party issued a statement Sunday saying “President Biden is absolutely right that Kamala Harris has been a phenomenal choice to serve as his Vice President. Her commitment to expanding health care coverage for thousands of Nevadans, lowering costs, and keeping our communities safe has helped grow Nevada’s economy, create good-paying union jobs, and protect our fundamental rights.”

The Nevada Republican Party issued a statement seeming to relish Biden’s announcement, saying it “underscores the deep divisions and uncertainty within the Democratic Party.”

That statement was also included in a fundraising email to supporters from the party, in which the Nevada GOP said Biden’s “dropping out of the race brings a whole new set of challenges against whatever Democrat we will face in November.”

Obama and the Clintons

Former President Barack Obama, in a statement praising his vice president, said the the decision to leave the race is “a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.”

“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” Obama wrote. “But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

Several other prominent national Democratic figures and organizations quickly declared who they want that nominee to be.

“Now is the time to support Kamala Harris,” said Bill and Hillary Clinton in a joint statement.

Priorities USA, one of the Democrats’ largest Super PACs, said “Coming off of the past month, it is imperative that voters online hear clarity and not chaos for the remaining weeks of the election,” said the PAC’s executive directory, Danielle Butterfield.

“Priorities USA fully stands behind Vice President Kamala Harris as our next Democratic nominee. She is the best candidate to beat Donald Trump this November,” Butterfield said.

This story was updated to include late Sunday afternoon statements from Rosen, Cortez Masto, Titus and Ford endorsing Harris.

The post Nevada congressional Democrats back Harris as nominee appeared first on Nevada Current.