By Ruth Bayang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, Shasti Conrad, is calling for Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket.
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is dropping out of the 2024 race for the White House after mounting pressure to step aside. The concerns escalated following the June 27 debate against Donald Trump, in which the 81-year-old president trailed off, often gave nonsensical answers and failed to call out the former president’s many falsehoods.
Conrad, the first Indian American woman to chair a major state party, said Harris’ “lived experience as a Black and Asian American woman has inspired millions of people, myself included, to see ourselves occupying the highest positions of power and leadership.”
Biden himself has also endorsed Harris to take on Trump, and encouraged his party to unite behind her.
Conrad praised Biden’s leadership, calling him “a true patriot who ensured the Democratic Party denied Donald Trump a second term and has accomplished more in one term than many presidents have accomplished in two.”
In support of Harris, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, the first Korean American woman elected to Congress, said Harris “is the most qualified to succeed Biden. She has my full endorsement and support.” State Sen. Joe Nguyen echoed these sentiments, expressing gratitude for Biden’s leadership and “the opportunity to help Kamala Harris, the first Asian American to become president!”
“I am 1000% in for her to be our President!” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the first South Asian American woman elected to Congress, posted on X. “She has the smarts, the experience, the accomplishments and the agenda to lead us to victory in November. Let’s go!”
She added, “At a time when Donald Trump and his Republican Party have stripped away women’s reproductive freedoms, we will respond by finally electing the first woman to the presidency… I look forward to seeing Kamala Harris become the first South Asian American and first Black woman to serve as the President of the United States of America.
Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement, “I know Kamala Harris can win…. she is exactly the woman we need to prosecute the case against Donald Trump, save American democracy, lead the fight to restore abortion rights, and build an economy that puts working people—not billionaires—first. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as our next President.”
“History will record that, in this difficult decision and throughout his tenure, Joe Biden is a true patriot—today, as always, putting his country ahead of himself,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.
Conrad underscored the necessity of unwavering support for Harris.
“We cannot and will not survive another media cycle of hand-wringing about whether the country will accept a woman as our president. We must be ready to surround her with a wall of support and be ready to stand against the racism and sexism that we know will come. As a Party, we must not perpetuate any of the bigoted and wrong sentiments that we know will come from the Trump-owned Republican Party.”
A recent poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.
The poll showed that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Harris, whose name is pronounced “COMM-a-la,” while about half have an unfavorable opinion.
A former prosecutor and U.S. senator from California, Harris’ own bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination imploded before a single primary vote was cast. She later became Biden’s running mate, but she struggled to find her footing after taking office as vice president. Assigned to work on issues involving migration from Central America, she was repeatedly blamed by Republicans for problems with illegal border crossings.
However, Harris found more prominence as the White House’s most outspoken advocate for abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She has also played a key role in reaching out to young people and voters of color.
In addition, Harris’ steady performance after Biden’s debate debacle solidified her standing among Democrats in recent weeks.
Even before Biden’s endorsement, Harris was widely viewed as the favorite to replace him on the ticket. With her foreign policy experience and national name recognition, she has a head start over potential challengers, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
