Alaska’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the wake of Joe Biden’s announcement Sunday that he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Party officials met Sunday evening and coalesced behind Harris, according to a news release from the Alaska Democratic Party.
State Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, one of 20 voting delegates, said the news was bittersweet — Josephson said he’s proud of Biden’s record, but said Harris has a better shot to “reinvigorate the Obama coalition” and defeat Donald Trump.
“I think Kamala Harris will do a better job of making the argument and presenting the case against Donald Trump, and the fact that the Trump campaign clearly wanted to run against Joe Biden tells me everything I need to know about what they fear in Kamala Harris,” Josephson said by phone.
He said the decision to endorse Harris was unanimous among those who attended the Sunday evening meeting.
Delegate Ron Meehan commended Biden’s decision to step aside.
“I know that that decision was one that was incredibly difficult for President Biden to make, but one that further demonstrates his commitment to the country above all else — to doing what’s right,” he said in a phone call.
Meehan said he was optimistic that Harris could run on the Biden administration’s policy record, pointing to investments in infrastructure and the fight against climate change.
“Vice President Harris has a proven record of delivering for America’s working families and protecting our fundamental freedoms. She has demonstrated her ability to lead our country with strength, compassion, and dignity as Attorney General, Senator, and Vice President,” state Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, another Alaska delegate to the DNC, said in a prepared statement. “I am proud to stand by her as the Democratic nominee for president.”
Fellow delegate Mike Davis said some floated waiting a day or two before moving to endorse Harris, but he said the consensus was for quick action.
“I think that the people felt like, hey, this needs to happen now,” Davis said in a phone interview. “It’s important that she knows from the get-go that she has the support of [the] Alaska delegation, and so that was the prevailing argument versus, let’s wait a day here.”
Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a social media post that she “respect[s] President Biden’s decision to act in the best interest of the country by stepping aside in the 2024 presidential election.” The other two members of Alaska’s congressional delegation, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, had yet to comment on the news as of midday Monday.
Democrats around the country have rallied behind Harris, including some who had been floated as possible competitors. State Democratic parties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky, among others, also endorsed Harris shortly after Biden’s announcement.
“Vice President Harris will carry on the legacy of President Biden with unprecedented investments in Alaska and our people,” Alaska Democratic Party Chair Mike Wenstrup said in a statement. “She is well-poised to earn the nomination and to win in November.”
Eric Stone covers state government, tracking the Alaska Legislature, state policy and its impact on all Alaskans. Reach him at estone@alaskapublic.org.
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