Just hours after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection, Alaska Democratic Party leaders moved quickly to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president. They also commended Biden for his endorsement of Harris.
State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, one of the Legislature’s senior Democrats, said Biden had hoped to recover from his poor debate performance — but in the end did what he thought was best for the country.
“This is really unchartered territory, and it takes a lot of courage, quite frankly,” Wielechowski said. “I give Joe Biden a tremendous, tremendous amount of support for what he did. I’m so impressed, because you don’t see it that often. You very rarely see it in politics.”
Wielechowski says he will support Harris’s nomination, because it opens the door to a new generation of leadership. He also believes it sets the stage for women to play a key role in defeating the Republican nominee, former president Donald Trump.
“I think this could be a real watershed moment in our country. We’ve never had a female president before. And I think there’s a very good chance that could happen this time around,” Wielechowski said. “And I’ve heard a lot of people say that there could be a female vice president selected as well.”
State Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, said she had hoped Biden would stay in the race. But she believes that of all the potential replacements, the vice president is the most prepared.
“I don’t think this is a surprise for her, because as vice president if something happens, you know, if something happens to the president, you’re next in line. Period,” Gray Jackson said. “She didn’t wake up, going, ‘Oh my goodness.’ But she’s going to work hard, and she’s going to have a lot of folks working hard to make this happen.”
As a prominent Black politician, Gray-Jackson she’s tired of hearing about how the country isn’t ready for a woman to be president, let alone a Black woman. But she predicts those arguments are not going to work this time around.
Another Black lawmaker, state Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, will be going to Chicago as a delegate and a member of the convention’s standing rules committee.
Tobin said that although it will be an open convention in which other candidates can compete for the nomination, she believes Harris has the momentum.
She calls Biden’s decision to bow out of the race profound.
“His decision to support and endorse Kamala is such a bold and significant step in our nation, and leaves me in awe,” Tobin said. “There is just a beauty in recognizing that it’s time to make space, instead of taking space.”
Gray-Jackson and Wielechowski are also delegates to the national convention in Chicago this August.
The chairman of the Alaska Democratic Party, Mike Wenstrup, said in a statement that he believes Harris is the most capable of carrying on Biden’s legacy.
Wenstrup credited Biden and Harris for large infrastructure investments and policies that have benefited Alaska.
The chairman of the Alaska Republican Party also weighed in. In a statement, Carmela Warfield said Biden’s decision to end his campaign for president only confirms the party’s suspicion that he is unfit for office.
Warfield also said it doesn’t make any difference who becomes the Democratic nominee, because the candidate will advance the same “disastrous” policies championed by Biden.
