With Biden out, Iowa Democrats rally around Kamala Harris

Iowa Democrats unanimously endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination, one day after President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out and endorsing her.

In the wake of the news Sunday that Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed his running mate, Iowa Democrats voting for the nominee at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) announced on Monday evening their unanimous support for Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Previously, the nearly 50 delegates were pledged to Biden, and would have been free to support any other candidate. But with this unanimous support, and overwhelming support in other states, Harris now has enough delegates to be the likely nominee.

Rep. Adam Zabner (D-Iowa City) is one of Iowa’s delegates to the convention and was an early supporter for Harris.

“I think the contrast is really clear,” he said in a Monday afternoon interview. “You have (President Donald Trump), who picked Supreme Court justices that led to extreme Republicans banning abortion in Iowa, against a vice president who’s been all over the country, including in Iowa, campaigning for abortion access.”

“You have a former president who is a 34-count felon against a former prosecutor. And you have a 78-year-old former-President Trump, who is often incoherent at his rallies, running against a vice president who is 59 and energetic and ready for this fight,” he continued.

Zabner said he was also impressed by how quickly voters got excited about Harris. He pointed toward the record-breaking fundraising—$81 million in the 24 hours after Biden’s announcement—and the fact that voters he talked to in Johnson County were already enthusiastic supporters by Monday afternoon.

“You could really feel that,” he said. “I think folks are fired up. They’re ready to go.”

In a statement, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, who also chairs the Iowa delegation to the convention, called it “a historic moment for our country and for Iowans.”

“We’ve seen a swell of support in the last 24 hours since Vice President Kamala Harris announced her campaign for the White House,” Hart said. “Not only has Vice President Harris broken national fundraising numbers—here in Iowa, we’ve had a substantial number of people reach out asking to volunteer.”

“Our reproductive freedoms, our public schools, Social Security and Medicare, and our values are on the ballot,” she continued. “I’m proud to lead a united delegation in Chicago that will work relentlessly to elect more Democrats in Iowa and help get Kamala Harris elected as the next President of the United States.”

After Monday night’s meeting, more endorsements poured in.

More endorsements

“I’m with her. I’m thrilled to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the experienced leader our party and our country needs for this time in our history,” Iowa Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst (D-Windsor Heights) said in an emailed statement. “She will unite us by putting people over politics while providing an important contrast for voters.”

Konfrst called Harris a “fierce” advocate for reproductive freedom and the perfect figure for bringing attention back to issues voters care about.

Sen. Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) was among the first Iowa Democrats to endorse Harris. On Sunday, he wrote, “With President Biden’s decision, our party can move forward with a new generation of talented Democrats who are energized and ready to lead.”

“I am endorsing Vice President Harris to be our Democratic nominee, and I believe it is time for our party to rally around her with our full support,” he continued in his emailed statement. “She is fearless, tough as nails, and she is going to defeat Donald Trump in November.”

In an interview with Starting Line, Wahls praised Harris’s 2009 support for marriage equality and her vocal support for abortion and contraception rights.

Sen. Pam Jochum, the Minority Leader of the Iowa Senate who will not seek reelection this year, announced her endorsement Monday night as well.

“I wholeheartedly endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States,” the Democrat from Dubuque said. “From her time as a criminal prosecutor through today as Vice President, she has always demonstrated her unwavering commitment to justice, the rule of law, strengthening the middle class, and protecting the reproductive freedoms of all Americans. Kamala Harris has a vision for a better future for all.”