Democratic, Independent Hoosiers are mixed about VP Harris after Biden endorsed her for nominee

Just 105 days before the 2024 presidential elections, President Joe Biden announced he will step aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee. The announcement is sure to send shockwaves across the country.

Some Democrats did not immediately back Harris. Former President Barack Obama said that he is confident the party would “create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges”, falling short of mentioning Harris’s name once in the 549-word statement. Similarly, Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California also did not mention Harris in a social media post following Biden’s announcement.

Locally, the Indiana Democratic Party released a statement asking Democrats to “unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump and continue the progress of the last three-plus years, adding that Harris has shown leadership on issues like gun violence prevention and protecting abortion rights.

The statement adds that Biden believes that “Americans are hungry for a new generation of leadership from the White House to local offices to move America forward”, which is why he decided to drop out of the race and endorse Harris as the nominee.

“President Biden led our country out of the worst pandemic in 100 years, reignited American manufacturing and infrastructure growth, brought unemployment to a 40-year low, and oversaw record job growth in Indiana and across the country,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl. 

Indiana’s 2024 democratic gubernatorial nominee, Jennifer McCormick, said she supports Biden’s decision to not seek reelection.

“It is time for the Democratic Party to build on the myriad accomplishments of the Biden administration and strive to uphold the values of integrity, justice, and unity that he has exemplified,” McCormick said.

Indiana Democratic Attorney General Candidate Destiny Wells echoed similar sentiments, adding that “anything is possible and I am anxious to seize the opportunities ahead.”

On the streets in Indianapolis, the reactions have been mixed from some Americans welcoming the decision to others anxious about the Democratic party’s prospects in the upcoming elections.

“[Biden] is not capable of serving out another four years. Impossible. I mean, I saw him on the debate stage. He looked awful,” 60-year-old Jay Deshmukh, who lives between New Jersey and Indianapolis and identifies as an Independent, said. 

“I've voted [for] both parties, but I cannot vote for Trump. And I will never vote for Trump. I could see myself voting for a Republican like Romney, but not for somebody like Trump,” he said.

Deshmuck disagrees with Biden’s decision to endorse Harris as the nominee. He hopes Democrats will compete and choose the best person. He said Harris would not be able to sway independent voters like himself, adding that others such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshir, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore would have been better choices.

Others like Maura Sullivan, 41, a former Indianapolis teacher who identifies as Democrat, said she believes Harris is qualified to be the nominee, adding that any candidate on the Democratic ticket would be better than Donald Trump. But she also worries that “it's going to be really, very difficult for [Harris] to sadly get the votes that are needed despite her being more than qualified.”

Other voters felt the decision to step down might not matter at all. 

23-year-old Bryant Smith who identified himself as an Independent said that Biden’s decision came too late, leaving little time for someone else to take his place and attract voters.

Smith said the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump felt like a “changing point.” 

“I think it’s over for the Democratic party,” he said. “A lot of people that’s been undecided see that happen and they are like ‘oh my gosh, Trump is badass I’m going to vote for him.’”

Democrats will hold their National Convention starting on Aug. 19 in Chicago. The convention is where Biden would have been formally nominated by the delegates. With exactly 28 days till the convention, Democrats will have to scramble to rally behind a nominee, and since early voting begins in September, some hope there is an official decision about Biden’s successor before that time. 

Contact Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org and Managing Editor Farah Yousry at fyousry@wfyi.org.