Iowa’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention is unanimously backing Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new presidential nominee after President Joe Biden’s abrupt exit from the race.
Nearly four dozen convention delegates held a virtual meeting Monday evening to express their support for Harris.
“This is a historic moment for our country and for Iowans,” Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Hart, who also chairs the Iowa delegation to the convention, said in a statement. “We’ve seen a surge in support over the last 24 hours since Vice President Kamala Harris announced her campaign for the White House. Not only has Vice President Harris broken fundraising records nationally — but here in Iowa, we’ve had a huge number of people reach out to volunteer.”
Hart said the people of Iowa “know what’s at stake this November.”
“Our reproductive freedoms, our public schools, Social Security and Medicare, and our values are on the ballot,” he said. “I am proud to lead a united delegation to Chicago that will work tirelessly to elect more Democrats in Iowa and help elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States.”
Harris is rapidly gaining support across the country. Obtaining Important Approvals It includes national figures such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as potential rivals for the nomination such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Democratic Delegation North Carolina, South Carolina, new Hampshire, Florida, Tennessee And Pennsylvania Has already issued endorsement of Harris.
On Monday, several Iowa delegates told the Des Moines Register they would support Harris.
State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines, a delegate to the convention, said he plans to support Harris “without a doubt.”
State Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, who is also a delegate, said Harris is markedly different from Donald Trump, particularly on issues such as access to abortion.
“She’s ready to go, she’s been tested, she’s served as vice president and she’s the obvious choice for me,” he said.
Another delegate, Adam Peters, pledged to support Harris shortly after Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday. He said on Monday that he was shocked when Biden announced he was dropping out of the race.
“But just moments after his first statement that he endorsed Kamala, that was all I needed to move forward with my personal pledge,” Peters said. “He’s ready, he’s been vice president for three and a half years. There’s no person better positioned than him to win this election.”
Peters said he did not think the party had any time to lose.
“I know a lot of Democrats who are saying they don’t want to crown anybody are a little skeptical, but we had open primaries,” he said. “Anyone could have run against Joe Biden and the only two people who did that were Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson. We don’t have time right now for blitz primaries as some in the media are suggesting. We need to unite.”
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached via email sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow them on Twitter @sgrubermiller,
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race as the senior national campaign correspondent for USA TODAY. Contact her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.
