By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, a longtime ally of President Joe Biden, on Sunday put his full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she brings vigor, leadership, resilience, and commitment to progress as the Democratic Party’s nominee for President.
Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection just four months before the election. The President threw his support behind Harris, the party’s instant favorite for the nomination at its August convention in Chicago.
Woodfin, a 2024 Biden delegate, said he would encourage “the entire Democratic Party, the base, Progressives, young folks, women, elites, money folks … everyone, moderates to [support] Kamala Harris … it’s all about uniting the party and winning the election in November” against Republican candidate Donald Trump, he said.
Alabama Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell released a statement that said she plans “to do everything in my power, from now until November, to make Kamala Harris the next President of the United States.”
Late Sunday, delegations in North Carolina and Tennessee came out in unanimous support of Harris and South Carolina Democrats also delivered a public vote of confidence.
Biden’s endorsement of Harris speaks volumes, the mayor said. “If Biden would have stayed in the race, I also think he would have won in November, now that he’s thrown his support behind Kamala Harris. I think that guarantees she will win in November as well,” Woodfin told The Times.
Harris is the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. If she becomes the Democratic nominee and defeats Trump in November, she would be the first woman to serve as president.
Harris described Biden’s decision to step aside as a “selfless and patriotic act,” saying he was “putting the American people and our country above everything else.”
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election.”
Sewell said Biden will go down in history “as one of the most consequential and transformational leaders America has ever seen.”
“At a time of great uncertainty, President Biden rescued our nation from a pandemic, beat back attacks on our democracy, and restored decency to the White House,” Sewell said. “I was proud to work alongside him to deliver billions of dollars in infrastructure investments to Alabama, lower health care and prescription drug costs, cancel student debt, and so much more.
She added, “November’s election remains the most critical of our lifetime, when our rights and freedoms hang in the balance. For the sake of our democracy, we as Democrats should come together, follow President Biden’s lead, and unite behind Kamala Harris as our nominee.”
Associated Press contributed to this post.
