Utah Democrats have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee to take on former President Donald Trump in the fall.
Delegates on Monday voted in favor of Harris’ bid after President Joe Biden announced plans to end his reelection campaign the day prior. Though Harris appears to be the preferred choice among party members, she must still earn the vote of almost 2,000 Democratic delegates to win the nomination in August.
If she does, Summit County Democratic Party Chair Rory Swensen believes Harris can defeat Trump this November. No other Democratic candidates have been named.
“She’s a former prosecutor and attorney general running against a convicted felon. She offers an opportunity for a generational shift in leadership, and to close the door on the past decade of chaos and division,” he said. “She has a solid framework of values and a commitment to ensuring our laws are just and equally applied. I have every confidence that she will be a strong and effective president.”
Swensen wasn’t surprised to hear about Biden’s decision to exit the race because of the negative perceptions about the president’s age.
Democrats across the nation had called for Biden to drop out following concerns about his performance at the June 27 debate, and the local party chair said that made it difficult for his message to clearly reach the American people.
“It must have been an incredibly difficult decision, but in the end, his sense of duty outweighed any personal ambitions. I have a deep respect for him, and admire his willingness to put the country first,” Swensen said.
Harris received quick, unprecedented support in the 24 hours after her campaign was announced. The team said it raised $81 million from more than 888,000 grassroots donors in one day.
The historic effort signals a real sense of energy and excitement among Democrats, Swensen said. He thinks Harris is a strong candidate with extensive experience that local voters will stand behind.
The vice president has worked as the district attorney of San Francisco, the attorney general of California and as a U.S. senator.
“As the vice president, Americans are familiar with her name, but she hasn’t had an opportunity to truly introduce herself and her story — until now. The Trump campaign will try to brand her, but the direction they are following to do so is both offensive and empty,” Swensen said. “As she outlines her vision, as she defines herself and reaches the American people, I think you will see a very strong candidate that offers voters an exciting choice when they cast their ballots.”
Harris visited The Colony on June 28 to rally voters behind Biden’s campaign. She spoke to about 100 people about the president’s performance during the debate and emphasized the need to defeat Trump in November.
She urged attendees to stay engaged, saying the election was between a candidate with a record of success and one seeking unchecked power. At the time she championed the current administration’s history of improving infrastructure, reducing the cost of medicine and investing in green energy.
Harris’ stop in Park City last month came almost one year after the president’s. Biden also visited Utah on a fundraising trip in August 2023.
Polls conducted before Biden’s withdrawal suggest Harris has a marginal lead over the president when it comes to beating Trump this fall. The former president leads Harris by about 1.5 percentage points on average, according to a Washington Post analysis. Biden trailed Trump by about 1.9 percentage points.
The vice president hasn’t yet announced who her running mate will be. Swensen didn’t hazard a guess. However, he said there are many young, talented Democrats Harris could choose from. There’s a strong bench of state governors, senators and representatives.
Harris in 2021 became the first woman, first Black American and first South Asian American to be elected as vice president.