It may not be ideal for Democrats to field a new candidate with less than 100 days to go before the election, but they appear optimistic that replacing 81-year-old Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris will energize their base.
Harris is the favorite to win the nomination after Biden’s dramatic withdrawal, having received the support of the president himself and most of the big names in the Democratic Party.
Still, the question remains whether the vice president, who still trails Trump in recent polls, is ready for the difficult fight Biden has bequeathed her after weeks of ignoring calls to step aside.
“I can’t go back. It’s clearly not ideal. But we are where we are,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told DailyMail.com of Harris’ 100-day timeline.
Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic Party’s expected nominee for president. But with nearly 100 days to go until the election, some lawmakers have questions about whether she can win hearts and minds so quickly.
With the structure and money of the Biden-Harris campaign already behind her, Harris is a better candidate than any other to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.
“She’s been vice president for three and a half years. I think she can pick up the mantle and run and she has an apparatus. Right, the Biden campaign, she’s assuming that it’s not like she’s starting from scratch. That’s what made her different from everybody else, right?” he continued.
Harris raised $81 million in the 24 hours after Biden withdrew and endorsed her as his successor.
“That shows there is a big difference in enthusiasm between Democrats and Republicans,” Moskowitz said.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a friend of Biden, said Harris would attract young and black voters after Biden’s support among young and black voters declined.
“We need to get young people excited. She’s definitely drawing in the African-American community,” she said.
“The people of Flint, my hometown, the enthusiasm for Harris there, the level of enthusiasm that we’re seeing, I’m not exaggerating, this sounds like a Joe Biden comment, but hundreds of new volunteers walking into our headquarters in the state of Michigan, people suddenly very excited,” Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., explained of what he’s seen in the one day since Biden dropped out of the race.
Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to her campaign headquarters in Delaware on Monday
The campaign headquarters previously belonged to Joe Biden, but has since been converted for Harris
“I love Joe Biden, but I think the fact is we had a hard time activating our base. We solved that problem.”
Kildee appeared undeterred by the short timeline in which Harris was operating.
“The fact is we know Kamala Harris, so it’s not like she has to introduce herself,” he told DailyMail.com. “The election outcome is generally decided in the last 60 to 90 days. So we’re in the moment where people are making the decision.”
Kildee seemed hopeful that Harris would strike a more sympathetic tone toward Gaza than Biden.
“I have some differences with the administration about the way the U.S. has handled Israel’s prosecution of this war,” he said. “But I do think there is a possibility that this is an opportunity for us to turn the page on a whole host of issues that encompassed one.”
Ted Lieu, D-Calif., vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said, “I think the base is very energized. I think you’re seeing energy throughout the Democratic Party, grassroots and rank-and-file, and that’s very exciting to see.”
“If young people vote, we win,” he added.
He told DailyMail.com that Harris will win because ‘she can seamlessly take over the campaign because she is part of it.’
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said Harris is positioned to take over Biden’s campaign “seamlessly”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., told DailyMail.com he believes Harris will win and that the timing surrounding her campaign is “fine.”
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said there are no concerns about the “timing” because the party is confident Kamala will win.
“I think Kamala is going to win,” Garcia said. “So I think the timing is great.”
His confidence stems from the fact that Trump leads the Republican ticket and he says he is a “terrible” candidate who voters will surely reject.
“I think the Republicans are going through all sorts of hoops. They have no idea what they’re going to do and they have a terrible and damaged candidate.”
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, also dismissed concerns about Harris’ accelerated campaign by citing her tenure as vice president.
“The vice president has been involved in every major legislative achievement that has been accomplished over the last three and a half years,” he said. “She has led and she has governed.”
“There is a clear choice, and I am pleased that President Biden, through his 50 years of service, continues to put the interests of the country above himself. He has passed the baton to the future of our party, the next generation of leaders with our Vice President Kamala Harris,” he continued.
Another member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Illinois, told DailyMail.com that Harris actually has an advantage because she has already been part of a presidential campaign.
President Joe Biden walks down an aisle with U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., during a stop at a grocery store in Las Vegas last week. Horsford told DailyMail.com he’s excited for Biden to “pass the torch” to Harris
“Ms. Harris has taken the time to call members to make the delegates work. She has already campaigned in all 50 states. 14 million people voted for the Biden Harris ticket.”
He also pointed to her record-breaking $81 million in grosses as a “great” indication of her popularity.
“She’s well prepared. She’s been in the wings. This is a natural progression,” he continued. “So I’m excited for her.”