Illinois Democrats praised President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his presidential bid on Sunday, but not all were immediately on board with Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement.
The divisions among Illinois Democrats mirror national divides among delegates and Democratic leaders as the bombshell announcement, while not unexpected at this point, is still sending political shockwaves weeks before the Democratic convention kicks off in Chicago on Aug. 19.
The news was a shock to Illinois delegates, with some receiving phone calls on Sunday morning from the Biden campaign to ensure they were still planning to support him.
The road ahead for Democrats will be rocky and unprecedented. In Illinois, there will be a spotlight on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and whether he gets a place on the ticket — either as president or vice president.
In their statements coming out just after Biden’s announcement, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton did not speak in one voice about who should be the 2024 nominee.
Obama did not mention Harris in his statement, while Bill and Hillary Clinton said they are “honored” to join Biden in endorsing Harris. Said Obama, “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead.”
It’s noteworthy that Pritzker and his handpicked leaders overseeing the Illinois General Assembly and the state Democratic Party did not jump on the Harris bandwagon in their statements.
Neither did members of Congress who may be assessing the situation not in terms of Pritzker, but rather who is the strongest person to keep the Senate Democratic and retake the House. Not endorsing Harris in their initial statements were Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Brad Schneider and Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
Those calling for Harris to lead the ticket include Mayor Brandon Johnson, Rep. Danny Davis, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Rep. Delia Ramirez, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Rep. Sean Casten.
Budzinski thanked Biden for his “lifetime of public service and for putting our country first as he passes the baton to Vice President Harris. It’s time that we come together and defeat Donald Trump in November.” Said Schakowsky: “It is vital that we continue the progress that President Biden began and Vice President Harris is the woman to get the job done.”
Garcia, without naming a candidate, said the party “must unite to protect our democracy.”
Pritzker released a statement focused on Biden’s legacy and “statesmanship,” and he focused on former President Donald Trump — with no mention of Harris as the potential nominee.
The Democratic governor’s statement was released nearly an hour after other president hopefuls — like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — voiced their support for Biden’s decision to drop out. Whitmer and Buttigieg also did not voice support for Harris as the nominee.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, were in lockstep with the Harris omission, instead focusing on Biden’s leadership and selflessness.
Mayor Brandon Johnson gave Harris his “full endorsement.”
“Vice President Harris is the visionary leader that we need now to defeat the threat of another Trump presidency. She has proven herself as a fearless defender of our democracy,” Johnson said. “I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure she becomes our next President.”
Illinois delegate Sarah Bingaman said her first reaction when hearing of Biden’s decision was to cry. She said she was sad that Biden wouldn’t get the opportunity to serve four more years, but was excited for the future.
“President Joe Biden has been a magnificent president,” Bingaman said. “He has done wonderful things for our country, I couldn’t be more proud of the work he has done in the last three and a half years in terms of our economy, in terms of women’s rights, in terms of civil rights, in terms of healthcare, union workers and a myriad of other things.”
Bingaman said that “whatever the choice is” atop the Democratic ticket, “it will be very exciting and we will definitely win this election.”
Arian Ahmadpour, a delegate and chief of staff for Will County Young Democrats, said he will support Harris and looks forward to working with her campaign.
“I think Vice President Harris will make an excellent candidate and will be able to defeat Donald Trump soundly in the election,” Ahmadpour said. “This now puts some states that were just out of reach for the Democrats back into play.”
Contributing: Emmanuel Camarillo, Kaitlin Washburn