Mississippi Democrats coalesce around Harris as presidential nominee

• Chairman Taylor believes Harris being atop the ticket improves the party’s effort to get out the vote. He says the VP can run on the economy and speak to issues important to women.

The chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party expects all 35 of the state’s delegates to back Vice President Kamala Harris for the party’s nomination for President. That’s the word from State Rep. Cheikh Taylor ahead of a Mississippi Democratic Executive Committee meeting.

Taylor spoke with Magnolia Tribune on Monday morning following the Sunday news that President Joe Biden was stepping aside and endorsing Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination. The state party chairman called Biden’s move “a selfless act,” saying it gives way to electing “the first female African American in America’s history.”

READ MORE: Biden out, endorses Kamala Harris for president

“President Biden selected Kamala Harris for his VP, and he also selected her to be President of the United States, so there’s some rumblings from folks around the country. But she’s been vetted, there should be no other hoops or obstacles in her way,” Taylor said, adding that when his fellow Democrats meet Monday, “I don’t anticipate any type of dissension, or anyone waiving on supporting her. I believe that as a state party we’re going down unified to Chicago to nominate Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States.”

The Democratic National Convention is set to convene on August 19 in Chicago, Illinois. However, there could be a virtual meeting of national delegates in the lead up to the convention.

Over 91,000 Democrat voters in Mississippi cast their vote for Biden in the March 2024 primary election, handing Biden all of the state’s delegates as a result. Harris has never appeared on a Magnolia State Democratic Primary ballot for President. She also never won even one national primary for President when she ran in 2020.

Given that fact, it is easy to see how Mississippi voters could view their vote as not mattering, instead giving way to party bosses who seemingly selected the nominee. Chairman Taylor said that is “a narrative I refuse to go down.”

“This is Joe Biden’s decision for whatever reason. These are selfless acts that some men in power would not go down that path but Joe Biden being who he is determined it was the best thing for the country,” Taylor said. “So, I say this to all voters – it’s important to respect Joe Biden’s wishes because he is the one who ultimately controls this decision.”

Mississippi’s lone elected Democrat federal official, Congressman Bennie Thompson in the 2nd District, has endorsed Harris. Ty Pinkins, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Mississippi is also backing Harris.

Former Democratic nominee for Governor, Brandon Presley, has not yet publicly endorsed Harris but did share a post on X (formerly Twitter) thanking Biden for his service. Presley has said he intends to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for Governor in 2027.

Chairman Taylor understands that Magnolia State general election voters are unlikely to hand his party’s nominee a win in Mississippi. Yet, he does believe Harris being atop the ticket improves the party’s effort to get out the vote and increase turnout.

A majority of Mississippians have not supported a Democrat for President since Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 2020, the Biden-Harris ticket lost by over 16 points to former President Donald Trump in Mississippi.

“I think everyone agrees was the candidate who made sense on paper, policy-wise he made sense, but energy was starting to run flat. It takes energy to run and win elections, especially against Donald Trump, and the Democratic Party has to be energized. Vice President Kamala Harris does that,” Taylor said.

Chairman Taylor went on to say that Harris will bring the “type of infectious energy reminiscent of Obama” to the race, while also turning out women voters, a demographic he says is the largest base of the Democratic Party.

“She’ll be able to talk about a woman’s personhood very differently than a Joe Biden or any other man in the race,” Taylor said, a nod to the Democratic Party’s continued push to restore abortion access across the nation. “She’ll be able to talk equal pay, equal work for women, and healthcare. She’ll also help down ticket races.”

Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst disagrees. He told Magnolia Tribune the name atop of the Democratic ticket won’t matter as much as the poor policies they continue to promote.

“Having Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee means is we’re going to have four more years of the disastrous policies of Joe Biden,” Hurst said. “She had one job as Vice President and that was border czar, and she failed miserably at that.”

Hurst said since Biden and Harris took office, America has had the “largest foreign invasion in our nation’s history with over 10 million illegal aliens pouring across our southern border.”

However, Taylor said Harris has been “tough on border security but can also show compassion as well,” noting her desire not to separate families.

“She will be unwavering in her strength when it comes to immigration and I think we’ll see that very quickly,” Taylor added.

The Republican chairman isn’t buying that a President Harris will do anything different than what she’s done as Vice President.

“I think changing the name doesn’t change the terrible policies of the Biden Administration,” Hurst said, adding, “Which means, a vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for runaway inflation, escalating crime and a continued unsecured border that endangers all of us.”

Yet, Democrat Chairman Taylor said the Biden Administration has had “great success,” and Harris has been a part of that every step of the way. Despite record high inflation over the last three years, increased interest rates, and rising cost of goods, Taylor believes Harris can run on the improved economic outlook facing the nation with confidence.

“It has to be about the economy and sharing in on the great success of the Biden Administration,” Taylor said. “She’s been sitting there as co-pilot, not relegated to the basement but as co-pilot to one of the most advanced and vigorous economic booms in our nation’s history.”

As for a potential running mate now that she’ll be leading the Democratic ticket, Taylor said there is probably “five or six names that bubble up to the top” for Harris. But he does see a running mate from middle America as a viable option.

“It’s all about who can bring more votes to the table,” Taylor said. “Whoever is the VP has to bring resources and support for the ticket. I don’t know who that is that the moment, but I do expect rigorous discourse on that heading into the convention.”

Names that are swirling since Biden dropped out as potential running mates for Harris include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Arizona U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Obama’s HUD Secretary Julián Castro, and Biden’s Transporation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

To be the nominee, Harris has to solidify 1,976 delegates to win the nomination. Biden had 3,896 committed delegates following the 2024 primary elections.

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UPDATE:

Monday evening, the Mississippi Democratic Party announced that its Delegation to the 2024 Democratic National Convention met virtually and voted to unanimously endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 Democratic nomination for President.